Gone are the days when you need to go to the casino or the land-based bookmaker to take your chances. Thanks to the Internet, betting has become more convenient with just a click of your finger.
According to the research of Facts and Factors, the online gambling and betting market accumulated about USD 50 billion in 2019. The study even expects it to grow up to USD 100 billion in 2026.
In 2019, online sports gambling topped the online gambling and betting market with an estimate of about 40% of the market share. And based on the device type, access via smartphone generated about USD 23 billion.
Thus, we cannot deny that the online gambling and betting market will continue to grow over the years — thanks to its easy access.
How do online betting sites work?
Online sites are still perceived as something “strange” and new to most of us. It was not long ago when gambling for money online was first established.
More than two decades passed but the way gambling sites work nowadays is completely different. The most vivid changes have been applied in the regulation and law field. Currently, the activity of all online gambling providers and tipsters has been strictly monitored and controlled.
The team of azBookmakers wants to emphasize the fact that there are some improvements as well. One can easily distinguish the better quality and abundance of services each site offers today compared to the times 20 years ago.
If you are a newbie in the online betting community, you have come to the right place. To guide you on where to take your chances online, here are the top betting sites that you should consider:
Fast Withdrawal Betting Sites
In urgent situations, you may need to bet and cash out your earnings as fast as possible. So here are some of the betting sites with fast withdrawal:
Bet365
Bet365 is a UK-based online gambling site that offers sports betting and casino games. Over the years, it has increased its online gamblers because of its fast withdrawal time and various cash-out options.
In general, processing time from Bet365 could take one to three days with a debit card. But some accounts can be credited within two hours.
Meanwhile, other cash-out options, such as Skrill and PayPal, may take a longer time than with a debit card.
Bovada
Bovada is another online betting company that offers several gambling choices — such as sports, casino games, horse racing, and live dealers.
It will take 1-2 days to process withdrawal requests for VISA, Master Card, and bank account transfers.
Meanwhile, for Bitcoin, Player Transfer, and Voucher, expect at least 24 hours to process. Lastly, checks can also be sent within 1-2 weeks to your registered residence.
BookMaker
Aside from being in the market for about 30 years now, BookMaker is still one of the trusted online betting sites that offer quick payout methods.
You can cash out through cryptocurrency wallets, such as Bitcoin, within hours up to a day.
Moreover, payouts via checks or MoneyGram would take about 2-3 days processing time. Meanwhile, you can also receive your winnings via bank wire within 5-10 business days.
Low Deposit Bookmakers
If you have decided to join the online gambling community, you need first to deposit after registration to gamble real money.
We at azBookmakers have created an article with additional information regarding the low deposit betting sites.
There are various deposit options, such as e-wallet, debit or credit card, bank transfer, and money transfer services. These affect the minimum deposit requirement, along with your account type and local regulations.
BetOnline
BetOnline is one of the most distinguished online gambling sites, available to 50 states in the U.S. and other international jurisdictions. Also, it is popular with online gamblers due to its easy and low-cost deposit methods.
The minimum deposit in BetOnline depends on how you transfer the money into your account. Here are the minimum deposit requirements for BetOnline:
- Cryptocurrency – $20;
- Visa, MasterCard, and American Express – $25;
- Money Transfer Services – $25;
- Bank Wire Transfer – $1000;
- Check – $1,500.
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is a British betting company that offers a game of chances in many sports and casino games. It is available in the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Spain, and Sweden.
Cash-in requirement ranges from £5-10, depending on the deposit method. You can only cash in £5 through debit cards and Paysafecard. Meanwhile, other cash-in methods require at least £10 as a minimum deposit.
Betfair
Betfair began as a betting exchange in 2000. Together with the development of the internet, it has grown into a well-established gambling company that also operates online.
It is available to numerous countries, such as U.K., Ireland, and Italy. However, in the U.S., it is only available in New Jersey.
Betfair is also famous because of its low deposit requirements. You can cash in at least:
- £5 through Paypal;
- £12 through Neteller;
- £10 through debit cards, Skrill, Western Union, checks, and bank transfers.
Sports betting bookmakers with API
An Application Programming Interface (API) helps online bettors customize their app for betting. That way, you can monitor your activities and program your betting strategies.
Bookmakers have established their API to aid their clients in managing their accounts. So, here are some of the sports betting bookmakers with API:
Betfair API
Betfair owns an API to help clients generate live market data, program trading strategies, and customize the user’s interface according to their preference.
In general, there are four steps to access the Betfair API, and these are the following:
- Get your SSOID token;
- File your application;
- Generate your app key;
- Activate the given app key.
You can visit this Betfair guide on how to get started with your Betfair API. Also, you can read this introduction on how to use Betfair API.
William Hill API
William Hill is a London-based gambling company that offers online betting available globally. It also owns an API, which is a collection of Representational State Transfer (REST) Services.
Meaning, it readily provides data on Willian Hill products, such as sports, events, markets, and competitions.
You can visit William Hill’s support page and API FAQ to know what type of API you need and how to set it up.
Pinnacle API
Previously known as Pinnacle Sports, Pinnacle is an online sportsbook that caters to bettors in over 100 countries.
With its rebranding in 2016, Pinnacle develops into one of the top betting sites, earning billions of dollars every year.
Due to its market reach, API methods are necessary to generate lists of sports, leagues, and feeds, which will help its clients take their chances in Pinnacle.
Scam bookmakers
Before dealing with any gambling site, you should know its reputation to avoid scam bookmakers.
There’s nothing more frustrating than to win in a bet that turns out to be a scam. To help you determine scam bookmakers, here are some of the red flags you should be aware of:
- Low ratings and a lot of negative feedbacks;
- Long cash-out delays;
- No license on their page;
- Suspicious bonuses and extraordinary returns;
- Excessive changes in their terms and conditions.
Furthermore, here are some sites that have a history of scamming online bettors:
- EZ Sports Betting
- Bet Island
- 7 Red Sports
- EZ Street Sports
- Bet Cascade
- GetWin
Sharp and soft bookies
Soft and sharp bookmakers are actually the opposite of each other. A soft bookie lets occasional bettors take their chances on the odds that change slowly. Meaning, the odds in soft bookmakers do not reflect their real-time market value.
Here are two examples of soft bookmakers:
Coral
Established in 1926, Coral offers online gambling for various sports games, especially the major tournaments, with profitable odds.
As a soft bookmaker, Coral sets stake limits to lessen arbitrage betting. Arbitrage betting happens when a gambler bets on multiple betting companies on the same event to ensure profit no matter what the result is.
Bwin
Known as the first online bookmaker, Bwin is one of the most trusted soft bookies serving several countries, such as Austria, the U.K, France, Italy, and Mexico.
Since it is a soft bookmaker, withdrawals are much faster than sharp bookmakers. Moreover, Bwin has partial and automatic cash-out options, which online bettors find convenient.
On the other hand, sharp bookies are quick to alter their odds when something (e.g. an injured player or issuance of a red card) can affect the game outcome.
Here are the two examples of sharp bookmakers
SBObet
SBObet is a sharp bookmaker for professional bettors to put their stakes. It is available to many European and Asian countries but not available to any state in the United States.
As a sharp bookie, SBObet has a mix of high odds and high limits, which sharpens the bettor’s line. Moreover, it does not impose account limits, which is an advantage for arbitrage betting.
Pinnacle
Pinnacle provides one of the best odds in the online gambling market, especially in sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball.
Since Pinnacle is a sharp bookie, the odds are usually available days before the tournament/competition or even earlier. Then, the odds and limits will slowly increase until the event.
Exchange Bookmakers
Betting exchanges operate differently than the usual bookmakers. In the traditional bookies, you get to bet with the bookmaker. But with a betting exchange, you bet against another bettor by offering odds or requesting odds.
Typically, the odds in betting exchanges are better than the traditional bookmakers. Furthermore, unlike bookmakers, the betting exchange generates revenue through commission on the winnings.
Here are some of the top betting exchanges in the online gambling community:
Smarkets
Smarkets is one of the leading betting exchanges based in the United Kingdom. It only takes a 2% commission, which is the lowest compared to other exchanges. In betting higher stakes, the commission can even decrease up to 1%.
Smarkets is also popular among online gamblers since it is perfect for laying (betting on something not to happen) with high stake liquidity.
Betdaq
With over 20 years in the gambling industry, Betdaq is a well-established exchange that provides an online platform for gamblers to bet against each other.
Also, it takes pride as the second-largest exchange operator with about 7% market share.
Like Smarkets, Betdaq only takes a 2% commission on the winnings. Thus, it has become one of the go-to betting sites in several countries, such as the U.K., Sweden, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Matchbook
Matchbook is another peer-to-peer online gambling site also known for its low commission rate. For its first-time registrants, they can enjoy 0% commission charges in their first 30 days.
But in standard, Matchbook also takes about 2% commission on the winnings. However, the downside in this betting exchange is its limited sports and market choices.
New betting sites
The online gambling community is a billion-dollar industry. Thus, more and more betting sites have been established to cater to the increasing number of online bettors.
However, trusting a new betting site is a challenge. To guide you, here are some of the newly-founded betting sites and their guarantees:
Stake
Founded in 2017, Stake is only in its 4th year, but it has already established its name in the gambling market.
Stake mainly uses cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. It is available globally except for the United States., Syria, Iran, Netherlands, North Korea, France, Curacao, and Dutch West Indies.
22Bet
100% up to €122
The bonus will be credited to the customer's account automatically after the first deposit is made.
22Bet is also one of the fastest-growing online betting sites. Established in 2017, it is a European-based company that continues to expand its market around the world.
Its rapid development is due to its extensive range of daily markets, easy-to-navigate site, and favorable odds — not only for sports betting but also for online casino games.
Furthermore, it only requires a minimum deposit of €1 with various methods, such as bank transfers and cryptocurrencies.
Thus, 22Bet is perfect for small-scale online bettors.
Slots Empire
In 2019, Slots Empire began to venture into the online gambling market, exclusively featuring its casino games.
Unlike other newly-established sites, Slots Empire is already available in the U.S. and Australia. It has live dealer events and various digital games.
Furthermore, cash-in ranges from $10-$150 depending on the deposit method. Sadly, the minimum cash-out for Slots Empire is $150, which is higher than the others.
Biggest bookmakers in the world
Our team have created a detailed article regarding the biggest bookmakers in the world. Here we are going to give you a few examples:
Bet365
Bet365 is one of the largest bookmakers available for online bettors globally. With over 20 years in the gambling industry, it claims to have about 63 million clients worldwide.
Moreover, it had total revenue of £2.8 billion in 2019-2020 — an 8% decrease amidst the global health pandemic.
For years, it has been a trusted online gambling site with three licenses, which comes from MGA, UKGC, and Gibraltar Betting Association.
Unibet
Since its establishment in 1997, Unibet has been one of the pioneers in the online gambling community. It launched its online website in 1999, live betting in 2003, and mobile site in 2004.
Unibet is a bookmaker that serves as an online platform for betting on sports, casinos, games, and live events. It has 9.5 million customers in over 100 countries globally.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power operates under Flutter Entertainment, a merged company with Betfair. Together, they have revenue of £2.14 billion in 2019 — a 14% increase from 2018.
Moreover, Paddy Power is a powerhouse online gambling site in countries such as the U.K., the U.S., and Australia.
In 2019, it had about 7million registered online bettors as it continues to expand its services.
Mirror betting sites
Sometimes, online bettors have trouble logging in to their favorite betting sites due to traffic or restrictions.
A mirror site is a copy of the original site. And since it is technically the same site, it also has the same terms & conditions and protection.
Also, the bookmaker creates a mirror site to tailor its website to a specific location.
Click HERE for additional information and a list of mirror betting sites.
Offshore Bookmakers
Offshore bookmakers have a license under a jurisdiction but not available on the market they serve. Online bettors take risks in offshore bookmakers since most of them are already well-established than their local betting sites.
As most countries do not have strict regulations for online gamblers, offshore bookmakers continue to thrive in the market.
Here are some of the established offshore bookmakers:
BetOnline
BetOnline has been on the internet since 2001. It has a license under Panama and serves numerous countries around the globe.
It offers a variety of online gambling services in sports, casino games, and horse racing. As an offshore bookmaker, it can offer generous bonuses, especially for first-time registrants.
Moreover, it is famous for cryptocurrency users because of its fast deposit and withdrawal.
Bovada
Bovada is a Costa Rica-based company that is popular with U.S. residents. Even though it is an offshore site, it stands the test of time for about ten years now.
You can bet from its 30+ available sports, live events, online slot machines, and table and card games. It mainly uses Bitcoin, but you can also deposit via debit and credit cards.
BookMaker
BookMaker is one of the top-rated offshore bookmakers since it caters to almost all countries. It is only not available in the U.K., France, Australia, Costa Rica, and Ukraine.
It provides betting services to occasional and professional online bettors. With its easy-to-use interface and quick deposit and withdrawal methods, more and more people are using BookMaker as their betting site.
Live streaming betting sites
Most of the time, you need a cable subscription to watch your favorite sports. But, what if it is not available in your country?
Online live streaming has become a reliable source of entertainment, especially for online bettors. Thus, bookmakers nowadays are integrating live streaming of sports and even casino games in their sites.
Some of the top betting sites that offer live streaming are the following:
BetWinner
BetWinner is a Russian-based bookmaker that is mainly available in European countries. It offers live streaming to its vast sports and Esports gaming so that you can monitor a placed bet in real-time.
Its live streaming displays the in-progress game while also showing the active markets in the game. That way, betting can be easier and more convenient.
Betsafe
With its license under Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission, Betsafe is one of the most trusted bookmakers. It covers a broad choice of sports featuring its live-streaming function.
Betsafe’s live streaming is free of charge but requires a registered account with a balance. It has a minimum deposit of €10 via its available deposit methods except for PayPal (€20).
Megapari
Founded in 2019, Megapari is a new online casino betting and sportsbook in the gambling community. Even though it is still newly established, it has more than 400,000 registered online bettors on its site already.
With its live streaming feature, you can also participate in live betting. As the odds during the changes, you can place more bets or bet on the opposite side with regulations. Also, you can withdraw and get a return from your stake even before the match ends.
Clone bookmakers
Clone bookmakers are like a ‘copy’ of another bookmaker, having the same odds and markets — which may or may have not the same owner.
Clone sites are ideal for accounts that got restricted due to arbitrage betting. Another possibility is when your preferred betting site has pulled out of your country.
So, here are some examples of bookmakers with their clone bookmaker:
- Betsafe – Betsson
- Bwin – Sportingbet
- Unibet – 32RedSport
- 188bet – Roadbet
- 10bet – Betrally
- Tipico – Rivalo
- Titanbet – Winner
Before registering, analyze their legitimacy first by checking their “About Us” pages and other pages on their site.
Sportsbooks with free payouts
As a sports fan, you may want to bet on your favorite team, which manifests your unyielding support.
If you are a sportsbook newbie, you should know the sports betting sites that can offer free payouts. That way, you can generate more earnings.
These sportsbooks are some of the betting sites that do not charge withdrawals:
888Sports
888Sports, operating under 888 Holdings, focuses as a sports betting platform — serving most European countries.
Since 888Sports is available with many deposit methods and low-cost cash-in, it has become one of the go-to sites of sports enthusiasts who want to take their chances.
Payout options vary, such as wire transfer, Visa Electron, Skrill, PayPal, and Neteller without any charges.
Intertops
Intertops is a sportsbook legend as it is the first sports betting platform available online. It launched online in 1996 and became available on mobile in 2000.
Today, Intertops caters to international bettors who can choose from its massive list of sports, especially the major tournaments.
With its vast market reach, cash-out methods have also become flexible for international bettors. And the best thing is, the payout is generally free except for bank transfers and checks.
Cloudbet
Cloudbet is not only a sportsbook but also an online betting casino like most other bookmakers. It mainly transacts with Bitcoin as its currency, and bettors from the U.K. and the U.S. are restricted.
The minimum deposit, bet, or withdrawal for Cloudbet is 0.001 BTC. Also, there is no maximum deposit or withdrawal, which tempts more online bettors to use Cloudbet.
And lastly, there is no payout fee when cashing out your Bitcoin except for bank wires and checks.
Arbitrage-friendly bookmakers
Individuals who are taking their stakes seriously and professionally are arbitrageurs. Arbitrage betting is the method online bettors use to gamble on several betting sites to ensure profit — no matter what the outcome of the game is.
Sometimes, bookmakers ban accounts that are involved in arbitrage betting. However, some bookmakers still accept arbitrageurs with some regulations in their chances.
Here are some of the arbitrage-friendly bookmakers:
Pinnacle
As a sharp bookie, Pinnacle is an arbitrage-friendly bookmaker. With its guarantee of “best risk-management in the online betting market,” bettors and bookmakers are not in a disadvantaged situation in the end.
Moreover, it offers arbitrage opportunities since it has smaller margins than other bookies, especially soft bookmakers.
188Bet
188Bet started as a bookmaker in Asia but later expanded and became popular in most European countries due to its lower margins — making it arbitrage-friendly.
Since its operation focuses on sports, it has gained the trust of sports enthusiasts who also put their bets online. Furthermore, with its user-friendly interface and fast payouts, it continues to thrive in the market.
Dafabet
Dafabet is another Asian bookmaker, which is actually a direct competitor of 188Bet. Like 188Bet, it started to serve Asian countries but soon expanded globally.
As an arbitrage-friendly bookmaker, Dafabet provides odds updates during crucial moments that can affect the game’s outcome. That way, online bettors can decide based on the situations in real-time and participate in in-play betting.
Bet365 Alternative Sites & Mirror links
Bet365 is indeed one of the top betting sites available online. With its numerous sports betting events and casino games, along with its convenient deposit and withdrawal features, it has registered millions of online bettors worldwide.
And since Bet365 experiences high traffic every day, alternative sites and mirror links will help bettors navigate it trouble-free.
Here is a complete guide to Bet365 alternatives and mirror links.
Bookmakers that don’t limit
You may want to bet on a site that doesn’t limit your earnings or your balance. More often than not, small-scale bookmakers, especially soft bookies, cannot do this as they need to regulate their conditions to earn a profit.
So usually, only well-known bookmakers can set accounts without limits, which is ideal for professional bettors. And some of these online betting sites are listed in our article about bookmakers that don’t limit.
Betting sites that don’t check age
The legal age for betting online is 18 (21 for some countries) or above. Although some betting sites value the anonymity of their bettors, underage gambling may result in fines.
For instance, in 2020, seven bookmakers were fined 2.5% of their gross profit after allowing a 16-year old to bet online without asking for proof of identification.
So, bookmakers today are more careful about their registered bettors. Although some bookmakers allow anonymous accounts, they are now starting to verify their bettors’ age by asking for a copy of their I.D.
Instead of betting sites that don’t check the age, here are some of the bookmaker that allows anonymity but still verifies their identity from case to case basis:
- Rolleto Sportsbook
- Agent NoWagger
- Maximum Sportsbook
- BetNow
- Royal Oak Sportsbook
- Cyber Casino 3077
Again, if you are a minor, you should not bet on an online gambling site.
Conclusion
The online gambling industry continues to thrive through the years, thanks to technological advancement, cryptocurrency establishment, and increasing online bettors.
With the presented top betting sites available on the internet, it is now up to you to choose your preferred online gambling site.
May it be a well-established company or a site that offers free payout, the responsibility in checking their claims and guarantees is crucial to improve your chances and avoid unfortunate events.
And lastly, here are some helpful reminders, my friend — check the site’s validity before registering an account and please gamble moderately.
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