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 best, and then become confused and overwhelmed at the sheer range of choices around. You looked at the advantages and description here disadvantages of each one, and after that you probably started getting second thoughts because you have heard that you can find some companies 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 very 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.

The other thing you want to do is make certain the site you are considering is financially stable. Think about it like this; with all the money that is being transferred into and out of this kind of organization, you want to make sure they have enough assets to stay in business. It's similar to like a bank. Will you get an account at a bank that was running out of money? In the event the company is public you can check their books. Whenever they aren't public, you can still attempt to see how long they happen to be in business and speak to people and find out if they are honest and prompt with their payouts.

Number three: check their reputation online. If you are reading this article then you are probably already comfortable using the web. Find some active sports betting forums and see what people there have to say. Pay attention to 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).

Finally, start small. You could be used to making big bets, but when you're dealing with a whole new sportsbook for the first time, it's better to work with a small sum of money just in case something goes wrong. Once you feel comfortable working with them you may start betting more if you want.

Bear in mind betting on sports should only be done with money you may afford to lose, and if you feel like you could have an issue, you will discover organizations that may help.