Anyone who wants to bet online and place a tip or two on the outcome of a soccer match or other sporting event can no longer avoid online betting shops in the age of the World Wide Web. However, the selection of providers is so large that especially a novice quickly loses the overview. For it is clear that sports betting has experienced a real boom overall in recent years. The business is lucrative – and more and more bookmakers are striving to enter the growing market. That’s why it’s important to know what makes a reputable betting provider. What you should watch out for and which portals you should rather keep your hands off, the editorial team of Sportwetten-Online has summarized for you below.
First and foremost, sports betting beginners in particular ask themselves the question of how reputable betting online is and how safe is placing a bet on the Internet? If you want to answer these questions, you have to look at online sports betting from several sides to get a reliable overall picture. In addition to the security factor, the seriousness of the provider also plays an important role, as does web security. Because this is the only way to ensure that you do not fall for a dubious betting provider.
The first impression is usually not deceiving
Often, even the first impression of a sports betting portal will give you a certain feeling. While this is not enough, you will usually not be completely wrong with it. Is the website just cobbled together? Are not all areas in German? Do graphics and design seem somehow unprofessional? Do you have problems with the navigation?
Offer in German language
If the site of a betting provider already seems dubious right away, then you should definitely be cautious. Basically, we do not recommend any bookmaker that does not have its offer completely set up in German. And by that, we don’t mean bumbling texts from a translation program.
Of course, this also applies to the various communication channels with the provider. It should be possible to clarify concerns in German both via e-mail and live chat. If there is a hotline, German-speaking employees should also be available there.
You should pay attention to these 5 facts
If the visual impression is okay, it’s the details that matter. Here, it is often worth taking a look at the terms and conditions. You can remember a few key points in advance in any case, because a serious and reliable betting provider should meet the following criteria:
- Fair bonus for new customers
- Serious license – for example from the Malta Gaming Authority
- German-speaking customer support
- Fee-free deposits and withdrawals
- Average odds of at least 90 percent
In our view, the question of payment methods is particularly important. Here, all options should not only be fee-free, but also be offered as broad a portfolio as possible. A really good and reputable sports betting provider should always accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards, Klarna instant transfer, Paysafecard, Skrill and, in the best case, Paypal.
The seriousness on the sports betting market is constantly growing
Already in the mid-1990s, the first online sports betting providers appeared and there was absolutely justified the question of whether everything is serious and whether in case of a win the amount is also paid out. At that time, there were quite a few black sheep who took advantage of the new medium of the Internet to make a quick buck.
They founded online betting offices and casinos in the Caribbean, where the servers were located, and ripped off their customers. Especially the American users were affected, because in Europe the Internet connection was not yet developed enough and therefore it was not so well known in our latitudes.
However, it must also be said that this phase passed relatively quickly. The first online sports betting from German-speaking countries were serious and safe from day one. Especially from Austria, many bookmakers went the way of the Internet, here you can call Intertops and Interwetten a bit as pioneers.
With Intertops, the first well-known and professional provider came onto the market as early as 1996, and a short time later Interwetten also went online. This ushered in the age of reputable online betting providers. What nobody expected at that time was that online sports betting would have such a triumphant success.
The advantage was obvious, of course: where previously a bet had to be placed laboriously by telephone, and cash was the main form of betting, now a few clicks and a credit card were all that was needed. The betting markets also became larger and larger, and bets could be placed on more and more sports.
A small remark about Intertops: The traditional bookmaker was actually one of the very first betting providers on the Internet – and especially around the turn of the millennium absolutely leading in the industry. After that, however, Intertops dramatically overslept the development of sports betting. Above all, the provider recognized the potential of live betting much too late.
In the meantime, Intertops has become more modern again, but it is no longer enough for the first rieger of sports betting providers. Bookmakers like Betway, 888sport or the great newcomer NEO.bet have a much better overall package for sports betting customers.
Online sports betting – a highly professional and serious business
Today, online sports betting is a business that is conducted in a highly professional and reputable manner. Today, most of the leading online betting providers have been in business for many years and some of them have already taken on the structure of a corporate group – with well over 1,000 employees.
Many betting providers ensure their awareness and good reputation with sophisticated marketing strategies, for which in some cases large sums are spent. Meanwhile, many clubs in the Bundesliga have signed exclusive sponsorship agreements with various betting providers.
This is exactly what makes online sports betting so safe, because this environment no longer offers any room for black sheep. Without a correspondingly large investment, no one can gain a foothold in the industry. That is, simply put, the dubious providers have already been quite simply pushed out of the market years ago.
The quality features of a reputable betting provider:
Every reputable online sports betting provider should have an EU license, this entitles him to accept and broker sports bets.
In most cases, these licenses are issued in Malta, Great Britain or Gibraltar. Each of these countries is characterized by a high standard of security in the field of gambling business. Furthermore, these countries are EU members, which ensures a certain level of control over the betting providers. High standards prevail in the issuance of the corresponding licenses. In addition, a betting provider with a license from Malta, for example, must deposit the entire balance of its betting customers in a bank account, which ensures a payout of all customer funds at any time. This is checked by the Maltese Gaming Authority at monthly intervals; if this is not done, the license may be revoked immediately.
Some of the online sports betting providers are backed by corporations that are listed on the stock exchange and are subject to additional financial controls. However, the listing is not a must, but it is a special quality feature.
The large and well-known betting providers such as Betway, Interwetten or Unibet, for example, are members of the EGBA – the European Gaming&Betting Association. This association prescribes the standard and security guidelines in detail and permanently monitors their compliance with the help of independent auditing institutions.
However, if an online sports betting provider gets into a financial emergency, for example because it has done badly, this has no effect on its customers. Because the betting provider is then usually taken over by a larger and financially stronger competitor, who is then happy about a larger market share. This has already happened several times in the past.
The case of Mybet: Customer funds were secured
The insolvency of the well-known sports betting provider Mybet made major headlines in 2018. Many customers were caught cold by this, hardly anyone had seen the bankruptcy of such a renowned brand coming. Virtually overnight, Mybet closed its betting offer, and customers were also no longer able to make withdrawals.
Luck in the misfortune for the Mybet customers at that time: The provider operated with a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). This meant that all customer funds were secured. The whole administrative effort then dragged on for several months, but the player funds were never in danger. In spring 2019, all Mybet customers were finally able to make their payouts.
This case has shown how important it is to bet with a reputable provider with a valuable license. If a bookmaker is licensed with MGA, you do not need to fear for your money even in case of insolvency.
Watch out for new customer bonuses
There are now so many sports betting providers on the Internet, so the fight for customers is naturally great. This is one of the reasons why it is now common for almost every provider to solicit new customers with a certain bonus. Then there is usually talk of a welcome bonus or a new customer bonus.
But even at this point, not every betting provider acts reputably. Always pay attention to the so-called bonus conditions with these offers. Because these bonuses are almost never given for free. A first deposit is almost always required, and sometimes the bonus is only available in the form of a free bet.
With the rollover conditions, you should especially keep an eye on the so-called minimum quota. Here, the default should not be higher than 1.8 or 1.9. Otherwise, it will be difficult to fulfill the corresponding turnover requirements for the bonus.
Conclusion: So is online betting safe and reputable?
Yes, online betting is safe and reputable. This is because all betting providers work with HTTPS protocols on their websites, check IDs and also point out all important guidelines. In addition, there are also forums and provider reviews, where it is possible to get an idea of the individual providers and where warnings are also issued, should a dubious bookmaker appear after all.
However, a comparison of betting providers should take place if you want to bet online. In addition, you should always inform yourself about the seriousness of the provider. Another good way to get an idea of the selected bookmaker or online betting provider is to contact the support and let them give you important information, such as ID check and more, if this is not noted on the website of the provider.
Basically, sports betting providers on the Internet are now often more reputable and much more strictly controlled than the one or other betting shop around the corner. Placing sports bets online is completely safe – as long as you stick to the bookmakers tested and recommended by our editorial team, for example.