1. Is it licensed?

The most important thing to look for is a full license. If a company doesn’t have a license then you should not, under any circumstances sign up to that site. In the UK you are going to be looking for sites that are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. These guys are the governing body for online betting and all gambling within the UK and are one of the biggest license distributors in the world.

A good thing about the UK Gambling Commission is that their website actually lets you check if a company is registered with them or not. It’s a really simple process as well and all you need to do is enter the name of the betting site into their search box and it will bring up a list of licensed companies that fit.

The Gambling Commission play a huge role when it comes to player safety and will cover everything from operating licenses, personal licenses, functional licenses and premises licenses, such is the scale of the company. Their role is pretty simple and that is to protect players from betting (and often being scammed) with rogue or illegal gambling operators.

The companies who are able to gain licenses from them will need to make sure that they offer a fair and safe practice for any players that have signed up. This also filters down into the likes of the betting promotions that are on offer. In fact, a recent crackdown has meant that bookmakers are now forced to be much more transparent about their welcome offers and how they work, which is great from a punters point of view.

2. What are the Terms of The Offer?

As we’ve briefly touched upon, any offer or promotion that you take from any bookmaker is going to come with terms and conditions that you must adhere to in order to get your money. These terms are tougher with some offers than others and it is essential that you check them out before signing up to a site.

Try and get a feel for what might be a good offer for you and not simply just chase the biggest bonuses as these are often the hardest to get a hold of. To do this you need to work out the amount that you are going to wager (frequency) and the amount you are going to stake (money). Some bonuses might be better suited to simply betting a lot at small stakes, whereas others might be better to bet big, but less frequent.

“Turnover” is going to be a key word in the terms and conditions that you need to look out for. This is the amount that you need to wager in order to either unlock your free bet or to simply withdraw any winnings from your bonus.  A decent turnover rate would be around 1-5x your bonus amount. When you get rates that are higher than this then it’s likely going to start to become tough to clear it without it costing you money.

Next up you need to keep an eye out of the minimum odds that you need to wager your bet to trigger your bonus. Most bookies will state that you need place your trigger bet (the first bet that then gets you your bonus) at minimum odds, which could be anywhere from 1/2 upwards. Again, the lower the minimum odds for this, the better for you as it means you can take a lower risk bet in order to get your bonus. The reason for this is that it stops people coming into the site, simply betting on a 1/100 shot, getting their bonus money and leaving.

Deposit type is another point that you need to keep an eye on. Many bookies will not allow you to claim bonuses with e-wallets such as PayPal, Neteller, Paysafe, Skrill and other such companies. There have been cases in the past where people have been able to claim multiple bonuses because these banking methods can be easily set up using somebody else’s details (such as your girlfriend, brother, granny or room mate from halls). This practice, known as a ‘gnoming’, is basically fraud against the bookmaker, so unsurprising that they would want to try and stamp it out.

Finally, you need to look out for what betting markets are eligible. Most terms will have betting markets that you can’t bet on and claim a welcome offer. These markets will range from bookie to bookie, but usually include things like Asian Handicap and 2-way markets, such as Over/under bets. In some cases you could be restricted to only betting on a certain market or match, but this is less common than having exclusions.

Pools betting, such as totepool, is almost always excluded.

3. Who owns the site?

One of the things about online betting is that finding out who actually owns the site isn’t always as easy as it should be. Whilst you see brand names that you are familiar with, these brands could well be working under ownership of another, larger company, with a decent chance of you not hearing of previously.

For example, one of the biggest in the industry is that of the Kindred Group. Never heard of them, right? Well, the Kindred Group own a number of brands in sports betting and casino, such as Unibet, 32Red and Roxy Palace, to name just a few. Whilst the companies work independently of each other, they are fully licensed and regulated under the Kindred name.

Whilst it doesn’t massively affect the site that you are betting on, it could raise issues when coming to claim bonuses and promotions. You see, some will only allow you to claim an offer under one brand in the group.

Thankfully this practice has become fairly rare – largely due to the work of the gambling commission and ASA – but it’s still worth keeping an eye out as this information will be freely available within the terms and conditions of the offer. If in doubt, contact customer support before signing up to make sure you don’t breach any terms from having accounts with sister-sites under the same group name.

4. What to do if you have a problem with a site

Unfortunately, there are times where you might have an issue with a bookmaker, whether this be about a promotion or just a general issue. The good thing is that there are plenty of ways in which you can quickly get in touch with most bookies these days. Phone, email and live chat are just a few of the ways that you can get issues resolved quickly.

The first port of call would be to sit down and work if you or they are in the wrong. Bookmakers have extensive terms and conditions laid out on site, so you should be able to navigate to the appropriate section and then see from there. If you’ve broken these terms, then it’s likely there isn’t much you can do. The bookmaker will have every right to highlight this. But, it’s still worth chasing up as you might get some sort of good will gesture from them in return, who knows?

If you feel as though you’ve followed their terms, then make sure you highlight this to them. Generally, for the most part, the major bookies are pretty good when it comes to resolving errors or mistakes that they may have made and usually reimburse and give you some compensation on top. Head in with a level head and speak calmly without demanding anything to start with is always going to be the best approach.

If the bookmaker is still failing to settle your enquiry as you would have hoped and you feel as though you aren’t being treat fairly, then you have a number of options:

• UK Gambling Commission – Here you will be able to form and log your complaint with the bookmaker governing body. They will investigate your case and also help you recover and money or damages that you might be entitled to. They will also be able to warn the company of any future conduct should they rule in your favour, which should help punters down the line as well.
• IBAS (Independent Betting Adduction Service) – IBAS is an independent company but work alongside the UK Gambling Commission. They are likely going to be able to offer you slightly more immediate help just based on the size of the company but will help you follow through with any complaints or help that is needed.
• ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) – The ASA are in place if you feel as though an offer or promotion has been misleading. They often rule in the players favour given the complexity of the offers and will again help to recoup any claims or damages.

5. Why do I need ID for a bonus?

A lot of bookmakers now require you to submit some form of ID when either registering for a new account or claiming a bonus. Whilst this can be frustrating, it’s something that is just part and parcel of modern-day betting. Our top tip is to send in any ID that might be needed further down the line as soon as you register your account. This way, you won’t be left waiting on any security checks that need to be made when you come to withdraw.

The regulations have been put in place by the UK Gambling Commission as part of their Know Your Customer (KYC) policy. This is essentially means that the bookmakers need to be able to put a legal form of document (passport, driving license etc.) to the name that’s on the account. It helps prevent things like money laundering and identify fraud, but also helps bookies prevent multiple accounts from opening accounts and claiming offers that they aren’t entitled too.