So you have been following your favorite sport for a while as well as have thought about using an online sportsbook to bet on several of the games. You probably went online and did some searches and found a whole lot of sportsbooks, each claiming to be the very best, and after that become confused and overwhelmed at the sheer number of choices around. You looked at the pros and cons of each one, and after that you probably started getting second thoughts because you've heard that you will find some companies great football online that are less than reputable. And you would be right. The final thing you want is to bet money with some company that won't pay you if you win.

So what steps can one take to choose a legitimate online sportsbook?

The first thing is to ensure the company covers the sport(s) you want to bet on. Not everyone offers every sport. This probably sounds obvious, but it's worth mentioning.

Your second thing you want to do is ensure the site you are considering is financially stable. Consider it like this; with all the money that is being transferred into and out of this sort of organization, you want to make certain they have enough assets to stay in business. Think of it like a bank. Would you get an account at a bank that was running out of money? If the company is public you can check their books. Whenever they aren't public, you can still try and see how long they happen to be in business and talk to people and find out whenever they are honest and prompt with their payouts.

Number three: check their reputation online. For anybody who is reading this article then you are probably already comfortable going online. Find some active sports betting forums and see what people there have to say. Pay focus on who the reviews are from and attempt to screen for fake reviews (some companies put up fake positive reviews in an attempt to make themselves look good).

Lastly, start small. You could be used to making big bets, but when you're dealing with a brand new sportsbook for the very first time, it's better to use a small amount of money just in the event something goes wrong. When you feel comfortable dealing with them you may start betting more if you want.

Do not forget that betting on sports should only be done with money you can afford to lose, and if you feel like you could have an issue, there are actually organizations that may help.