When you open a sportsbook account there are a few things to take into consideration before you “sign the dotted line.” Is the book your considering reputable? Do they offer numerous deposit and withdrawal methods to make it easy for you to move money back and forth? Do they offer incentives for you to play there? Are they secure? Online bookies are fighting for your business. You want to make sure your with one of the best before committing to one. These are just a few of many things to think about when opening an account.
See our full list of recommended online sportsbooks by clicking here.
Opening an account is easy. Once on a sportsbook’s site, simply click register for an account and a page will come up asking you for personal information. Don’t be surprised to be asked such questions as your full legal name, address, phone number etc. These books should NOT however be asking for your social security number. There is no need to divulge that info. Maybe the last few digits as a personal security code, but not the full number.
While deposit bonuses are a great incentive to get you to sign up at a sportsbook, it shouldn’t be the only thing taken into consideration. Sometimes books offer too big of a bonus which may be a warning sign that their in trouble and are starving for players so are willing to roll the dice. The problem with that is that sharp bettors will take notice of this and once word gets out and some betting syndicates start banging htem it can literally hurt a book’s bankroll so bad that it can put them out of business. Bonuses have stipulations as well that make you roll your money over 6x or more and no w/d for 30 days. (which is to be expected. If their going to give you free money they want to retain you as a client and get some turnover) For a full list of sign up incentives check out our sportsbook bonuses page.
Other incentives you may find at a book are enhanced parlay payouts, free half point offers, reduced vigorish, special prop bets, loyalty programs, free bets, free entries into poker tournaments and more.
Once you’ve opened up your account, you will need to make a deposit. Online sports book accounts work just like bank accounts. You can only use what you have in your account. This is unlike corner street bookies as they operate on credit. Offshore books don’t.
There are many deposit options. With the legal climate changing it has become a bit harder to make deposits/withdrawals but there are still plenty of options and more and more are coming out every day. Credit card deposits are the most popular option but not many books are able to get them processed as many visa companies have blocked such transactions. For a list of online books that are good at accepting visa cards for deposits to your betting account check out: Sportsbooks accepting credit cards with a high rate of acceptance.
If you do decide to sign up using a credit card, expect to have to fax in a copy of your drivers license to the book at some point. This is to protect them from credit card chargebacks from unscrupulous thieves who try to work the system in their favor.
