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At Place a Bet Online we specialise in all aspects of online betting, this includes comprehensive betting guides as well as the best places to bet online and the best payment methods to use. Whether you’re a beginner to betting online or are just after some fresh ideas, our how to bet online guide should give you everything you need to get you going right out of the gate.
Evolution of Online Betting
Betting has had a lot of changes throughout the years, none more so than the move online. But why? And how does this affect or even benefit you? A little bit of history in betting evolution may go some way in helping you understand our choices throughout this page and our site, but if this doesn’t interest you; then just scroll down to our next section on the best places to bet online.
A few years ago, choosing where to place a bet was simple. You would just walk down your local High St and pick from one of the few bookmakers available. But as with all aspects of High St shopping, online betting soon became king, with some bookmakers slowly removing their betting shops.
As much as it is nice to be able to have your winnings in your hand on the same day as you bet, convenience is essential in today’s society; that’s where betting online excels. With a vast array of payment methods, instant withdrawals are now possible. Some bookmakers also have their own payment options, helping to bridge the gap between shops and online.
Unlike with betting shops, placing a bet in-play and cashing out current bets can be done with touch of a button; which is essential when the outcome of a bet can change in a heartbeat. It’s also easier to see what betting specials are available to you, rather than having to stand at a cold shop front or have to ask staff members.
Making the move to betting online is a blessing and a curse, as much as it is easier there are now many more betting sites for you to choose from; deciding which one can give you a bit of a headache. Luckily though this is where we can help, by offering up what we consider to be the best online betting sites.
Best Betting Sites Online
If you are new to betting online then the bookmakers listed below are the best betting sites for beginners. They are tried and tested, having excellent reviews from customers and you have the peace of mind that they are registered with the UK Gambling commission. They also offer safe banking options.
Granted, there are literally over a hundred betting websites for us to choose from, those listed above are some of our firm favourites. You’ll also notice a few new betting websites there that may appeal to you, but whichever you choose were sure you’ll be pleased with what they offer.
How to Choose an Online Betting Site
If you decide that the betting sites we’re offering up aren’t quite for you, then knowing how to pick an online bookmaker could come in handy.
The first thing you think of when your choosing a bookmaker is how good are the odds they offer, however there are several other elements of an online bookie that you need to consider. Big brand names are always a usually where most people start, mainly because they are a little more trustworthy and have better customer ratings. But more often than not it’s newer sites to bet online that offer innovative options, as the big boys can get complacent and rely on their branding to pull in the customers.
Payment Methods to Place a Bet
The first thing you should consider when opening an account at a new betting site is actually funding your account. There’s no point joining a bookmaker only to find they don’t accept your preferred payment option. To find their banking options simply scroll to the footer of their website and you will either say the logos of payment provider accepted or a link to their banking section.
To help you along, if you are looking to place a bet online using a specific method, then have a look at which betting sites offer the following payments;
You’ll probably have noticed that there no mention of credit cards, this is due to the fact that no UK gambling commission registered bookmaker can accept them; as UKGC identified credit cards were a direct link to problem gambling. Although this may be inconvenient for some gamblers, we fully back this decision as an effort to help people gamble responsibly
Online Betting Promotions and Offers
The sites we’ve listed above love to entice you to open an account by offering some of the best new customer betting offers, from bet bundles and deposit boosts to outright free bets. But they don’t tend to last long, this is where loyalty bonuses and regular betting promotions come in handy; so be sure to have a look around the site to see what they offer existing customers.
Popular existing customer offers can often include money back bets, enhanced odds, multibet boosts and accumulator insurance.
It’s definitely worth noting that all betting promotions will have terms and conditions and possibly even wagering requirements attached; such as a minimum low deposit. If you fail to meet any of these requirements then you run the risk of either losing the bonus on offer or voiding the bet completely; so we urge you to ensure you fully understand what is required before placing your bet online.
Additional Considerations When Choosing an Online Bookmaker
The sections above should definitely be at the forefront of your mind when selecting where to place a bet online; however there are other aspects should also be considered.
It’s always good to check out what betting markets are available. A good variety of sports and betting options in domestic and international markets is an absolute must, some sites also offer unique markets; as there is no point limiting your betting options.
Features such as in-play and cash out should always be considered, as this can help reduce your losses or even boost your profits. Most gambling sites also offer cross market products like casino, slots and even bingo, which gives you the opportunity to switch things up a little; it also stops you having to open several accounts to for different gambling options.
How to Place a Bet Online
Opening an account is pretty straight forward and a quick process, it should also be the same across all betting sites. You’ll be required to provide personal details such as your name, address, email and date of birth as well as setting up a username and password. There is also now a requirement to provide the betting site with KYC information. These are specific documents that are legally required to prove your identity and help reduce the risk of money laundering. In most cases, these documents will be required before you can deposit, but some sites wait until you want to withdraw any winnings before requesting them.
Once you have completed the process above you will be ready to place a bet online. Again the premise of this is pretty straight forward, especially if you already know what sport or event you want to place a bet on.
Now you have your bet in your sites, simply click/tap the odds displayed and it will be added to your betting slip; you can then either choose to add more bets to your slip or simply place your bet. In order to complete your betting slip you will need to set your bet amount and whether you want that as an each way bet. To do this simply add the amount in the box next to your bet.
If you have added multiple bets to your slip, then there are a couple of options at your disposal. You can repeat the process above to place multiple singles or opt to place a simple football accumulator, there are also several accumulator variants or bet builder options available.
Once your betting slip is filled out, all that is left to do is to confirm you bet, the total amount of the bet will then be deducted from your wallet. If you have insufficient funds you will be prompted to top up your account, there is also the option to use free bets if you have any available.
Online Betting Guides for Beginners
It’s all well and good knowing how to place a bet online, but if you don’t know what you’re doing then you may as well being throwing money down the drain. This is where our unique and indepth beginners betting guides can come in handy.
It has to be said though, these guides to online betting don’t just benefit beginners, they can also be handy if you want to change things up a little. You may be skilled at betting on football and decide you fancy a bet on horse racing.
With the following guides you should have all the information you need in order to place a bet with an increased chance of success.
You may have noticed that earlier in the payments section we mentioned the ability to bet using phone credit. So for those with a PAYG phone, we have also created a handy guide on how to cash in phone credit.
As well as knowing the various aspects of the sports you choose to place a bet on, it’s also handy to know and understand the types of bets you can place.
Cash Out and In-Play Betting Guides
In recent years there have been several advancements for betting online, none more so than the introduction of In-Play betting and the ability to cash out early. The following are our quick guides for some of the biggest bookmakers and their In-Play options
Most online betting sites now offer the ability to cash out. The easiest way to discover if your bookmaker does offer it, simply look at your betting slip the next time you have an active bet. If they do then you should see a cash out button next to your bet.
As for In-Play, this now gives you the option to bet while the game is being played; so you can get a feel for bets like next team to score or next goalscorer. It also goes hand in hand with a betting sites live stream options.
Responsible Gambling Online
At Place a Bet Online we are big advocates of responsible gambling and gaming. Whilst it can be a fun and sometimes a profitable hobby, it’s never worth putting yours or your children’s future at risk in search for that big life changing win. Make sure you stick to the rule of when the fun stops, stop!
The best way we can advise people to gamble responsibly, is to never spend more than you can afford to lose. In order to achieve this we recommend you set yourself a spend limit, whether that be daily weekly or monthly. Most gambling sites can assist you with this and have the option to set this in your account. We recommend doing this as it removes the temptation to just spend that little bit more.
If you do unfortunately find yourself in the position of letting your gambling get out of control, you will be pleased to know that there several resources available to help you which include;
These external bodies can help you get things back on track, there is also the ability to completely opt out for a set period of time and take a breather.
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