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Online betting platforms have taken the United States by storm in the past half decade, no matter if it’s sports betting or digital casino games. The chance to win large amounts of money without even having to leave the comfort of your own home is hard to beat, and the media frenzy as each state decides to legalize the pastime or a new sportsbook opens up makes the opportunity hard to miss: if you’ve been online, watched TV or seen a billboard at any point in the past five years, you’re practically guaranteed to have been subjected to some form of gambling advertisement.
With dozens of different platforms to choose from, though, it can feel overwhelming for a newcomer to the industry just trying to get their feet wet. Here’s everything you need to know about how to choose the gambling platform that’s right for you, from the bonuses you can earn to insider tips and tricks.
One nice thing to keep in mind is that the options you have available don’t depend on the phone or laptop you use: while Microsoft or Apple might enjoy a monopoly on some apps or media content, betting operators want to make sure their product is available to as many consumers as possible. No matter which operating system you run, you’ll have free reign when it comes to picking an app.
Betting Promos
One of the first things to keep in mind when picking a betting platform is the various promotions offered for new users. For example, the upcoming North Carolina betting apps will offer deposit matches, where you get a bet voucher equal to the amount of your deposit—often up to as much as $500 or $1000. Other promotions include risk-free bets, where the first wager you place is insured, typically up to $500 or $1000. If the first bet you place fails, you’ll get the amount credited to your account, giving you a second chance to make your money back.
Pretty much every app offers some promotion along those lines, so it’s a good idea to shop around and see what the offers are first. If you end up taking to betting, you can always jump around from app to app and make use of each one of the first time promotions in turn, maximizing your odds of winning big.
Similarly, many apps will offer one-off promotions on the holidays or other major events like the Super Bowl. You won’t get as big of a promotion as you do with the first-time opportunities, but a $10 risk free bet here and there is a nice treat to have at your disposal nonetheless.
When using a computer to place wagers, some betting platforms will want to download a plugin that confirms your exact location, given the differences in state law when it comes to online wagering. This can be a point of contention among Windows operating systems because of restrictions on plugins and apps when you first boot up a new laptop.
The device will automatically launch in safe mode, which means you can only download apps from the Microsoft Store: if your operating system disagrees with the betting plugin you try to download for some reason, you’ll have to turn off safe mode to continue… but that’s a pretty normal step when it comes to booting up a new device.
Monitor the Odds
This factor mostly applies to sportsbooks, but it can also play a role in the casino game platforms as well. Each of the various betting platforms offers a different set of odds based on their own individual algorithms: BetMGM might give the Chiefs a 60 percent chance of winning the Super Bowl, for instance, while Caesars Sportsbook only gives them a 55 percent chance.
That means, of course, that you’ll get more bang for your buck if you place your bet on the Chiefs with Caesars, because longer odds create a bigger payout.
Other differences between the sportsbooks include the types of bets offered. Some platforms have far more expansive prop bets, so if you want to wager on a niche outcome like how many touchdowns Isaiah Pacheco runs for during a game or season, you’ll again want to survey the different apps and see which one suits your needs best.
For casino games, it’s always a good idea to read the fine print. The different slot machine games will always tell you your payout odds. If one platform has a 5 percent chance of a $10 payout for every 25 cents spent but another slot game gives you slightly worse odds for the same price, make sure to take the bet that stands to give you better chances of winning.
Peace of Mind
Last but not least, it’s important to remember that all of the sportsbooks offer a product with consumer safety in mind: the bookies are in it to make money, of course, but they wouldn’t keep many customers around if they didn’t give them a reason to do so.
Once again, you can read the fine print and learn exactly how the various platforms protect their consumers. They all use financial technology, or fintech, to ensure fast, seamless and secure transactions to and from your bank account, protecting the personal identifiable information (PII) of their customers with intricate security systems.
For casino games, betting platforms contract third party auditors to make sure the odds are as advertised, that the random number generators for slot machines, poker draws and roulette spins are working properly and fairly, so that you have the same peace of mind you would at a traditional betting establishment. When it comes to the fairness of the game, you can rest assured knowing that no matter which app you end up choosing, your safety as a consumer is paramount to their continued operation.
Like most of the rest of the choices discussed in this article, the operating system doesn’t play a big role in app safety either, especially when you’re using a phone. Because of the sandbox nature of their operating constraints, it’s much more difficult for phones to get a virus than it is for a computer: while disabling safe mode on your laptop does, ostensibly open you up to more external risks, it’s part and parcel of having free reign of your device.
Make sure to only download accredited sportsbooks that come from approved app developers: as sports and casino betting continue to become more popular, the potential for scams increases in turn.
