Whether you’re thinking of betting online for the first time, or looking to take advantage of what different betting sites have to offer, you’re probably wondering how to choose a bookmaker?

We recommend you consider a wide range of bookmakers before choosing one, as most bookmakers have something to offer that others don’t. That might be sports or markets you can’t bet on anywhere else. You may also be able to get odds about some selections with some bookmakers that you can’t get with other betting sites.

Claiming free bets or bonuses is something you can do at many top online bookmakers, while lots of them also offer existing player offers, concessions, and loyalty rewards. Licensing and security are always important. You may also wish to consider what type of payment methods are available, as well as support options. What platforms you can bet on may also be a determining factor in how to choose a bookmaker.

Check Available Sports And Markets
There’s absolutely no point in becoming a member of a bookmakers that doesn’t offer betting on a sport that you want to bet on.

Luckily, most bookmakers offer betting on between 20 and 30 sports. Most display the sports they offer in a list on their homepage or in a drop-down menu that is easily accessible, making it easy to see if they offer what you want.

But while many bookmakers offer betting on lots of sports, the number of markets they offer on each match or event can vary greatly. It’s worth spending a bit of time searching through the sports you want to bet on to make sure a bookmaker offers the types of markets you like to bet on. Sports and markets should always be one of your biggest considerations when thinking about how to choose a bookmaker.

Look For A Good Selection Of Odds
All bookmakers offer odds, but these odds can be very different from one bookmaker to another. If you’re only going to sign up to one bookmaker, make sure they regularly offer the best odds about the type of selections you want to bet on. Failure to get the best odds will dramatically reduce your return on investment and any profits you make from gambling.

Some bookmakers may offer the best odds on all selections in selected races after a certain time each day, but by this time many of the standout prices will have been snapped up. The fact that you should want to try and always get the best odds may mean that you want to consider betting with more than one bookmaker.

Claim Bookmaker Welcome Offers
One of the biggest reasons to open an account with new bookmakers is to take advantage of the welcome offers that are available to new members. Many of these offers are credited to your account as free bets, and you can regularly get between £20 – £100.

Whether you want to use free bets to bet on selections you would have bet on anyway, or you’re thinking of doing a bit of matched betting to make a profit, welcome offers are a top reason to open an account with a new bookmaker.

*The terms and conditions of these welcome offers are normally transparent, but please make sure you read them and are happy with them when deciding how to choose a bookmaker.

Take Advantage Of Existing Player Concessions
Online bookmaking is such a competitive business that most bookmakers offer a big choice of existing player concessions.

Many bookmakers offer concessions for horse racing, such as enhanced place betting, winner back as a free bet if your horse falls, and best odds guaranteed. For big meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival, some bookmakers even offer you your stake back as a free bet in selected races if your selection loses.

Football is another popular sport that many bookmakers offer concessions for. These can include money back if it’s a bore draw or a specified player scores the first goal. Many bookmakers offer these types of concessions for all big matches, so watch out for them.

Enhanced each-way terms are massive in golf nowadays, while some bookmakers offer money-back on all bets if specified players win big events like the majors. You’ll also find concessions for tennis, cricket, and rugby, as well as many top American sports such as basketball, ice hockey, and American football.

Taking advantage of these concessions can help you maximize your profits from gambling.

Enjoy Loyalty Rewards
Many bookmakers have also taken the idea of promotions one step further by offering members loyalty rewards. You can qualify for free bets at lots of bookmakers if you place bets of an agreed amount each week. This is great if you would have bet this much anyway, but don’t bet just to get your free bets. Remember, these free bets can help you maximize your profits, but not if you’ve gambled irresponsibly to get them.

Check The Licence
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority are widely accepted as the two strictest gambling regulators. Betting sites that are governed by these are regarded as safe and fair. United Kingdom licenses tend to be issued to betting sites that operate in the UK, while betting sites that are licensed in Malta operate in Europe. Many bookmakers hold licenses in both.

If you’re gambling in other countries such as Spain, Sweden, and Italy, you will probably be betting with a bookmaker that is licensed in your country. When thinking about how to choose a bookmaker, make sure you consider licencing and security.

Pick A Payment Method
Bookmakers tend to offer a variety of payment methods, and it’s up to you to make sure that they offer one that you want to use. Debit cards, e-wallets, and pre-paid cards are the most popular solutions at UK licensed casinos, where credit cards are not an option.

But credit cards can be used to make deposits and withdrawals at bookmakers in other countries. Other payment options include a variety of online payment solutions, Apple Pay, and mobile payments.

Choose A Platform
Many of us now like to bet on the go and luckily most online bookmakers now allow us to bet on Android and iOS. Betting on your mobile phone is quick and easy and, as you can bet whenever and wherever you want to, you’ll never have to miss a bet again. Many bookmakers also offer downloadable mobile apps that allow you to tailor the look and navigation of the site to suit your betting needs.

Of course, you can also still be on desktop, laptop, and tablet, giving you the best of both worlds. Take a few minutes to check out how a betting site looks and feels, as they can be quite different, so it’s important when thinking about how to choose a bookmaker.

Recommended Bookmakers
Online bookmaking is a crazily competitive business, and there isn’t one bookmaker that stands head and shoulder above the rest. Most online bookmakers have something unique and special, whether that’s a welcome offer, existing player concessions, a great range of sports and markets, or just odds that you can’t get anywhere else.

Bookmakers you can open accounts with include, but aren’t limited to, Bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power, William Hill, Coral, 888, Unibet, Ladbrokes, Betfred, Betfair, Betway, 10Bet, Sport Nation, Novibet, Sporting Index, Betdaq, Genting Bet, Red Zone, and SBK.

What we advise is that you check each of these bookmakers out and choose the one or ones that will help you make the most profit from gambling.

Don’t Limit Yourself To Just One Bookmaker
We hope you’ve found our article about how to choose a bookmaker helpful. When choosing a bookmaker, remember to always consider important criteria such as sports, markets, odds, welcome offers, existing player concessions, loyalty rewards, safety and fairness, and what platforms you can bet on.

You now know how to choose a bookmaker, but we’d recommend that you don’t limit yourself to just one. Open accounts with as many bookmakers as you feel comfortable, as using free bets and getting the best available odds will help you maximize your profits from gambling. Happy punting!