USbetting.org’s Rating Process

Our site is filled with sportsbook reviews, rankings, and all sorts of different betting guides. We use a specific process to come up with accurate and valuable information to share with our readers, but the real question is – how can you be sure that we’re a reliable source? 

That’s when this article kicks in! 

This page explains our review process in great detail and showcases how we pick the best sportsbooks to recommend. We also cover all the factors we consider when creating our rankings and explain what differentiates our system from other reviewers. 

 

The Rating Criteria 

Our experts rank sportsbooks based on the six criteria we explain below. Each of these criteria contains several additional steps, which ensures our reviewers never miss anything important. 

After the final score is set and every part of a betting site is thoroughly checked, our experts provide their informed opinion. It’s not all about the numbers and features, which is why we also focus on how a sportsbook feels and whether the whole betting experience is any good.  

Our rating criteria
our rating criteria
 

Security 

Security is the first and the most important thing we check before reviewing anything else on a betting site. Only legal and licensed online sportsbooks are welcome to USbetting.org. If a betting operator doesn’t have all the required licenses to do business within the law, we don’t feature them on our site. 

  1. Licensing – The first thing we do is check with the state betting authority to confirm that the operator’s license is valid. Every state has its regulatory agency, such as the Division of Gambling Enforcement in New Jersey or the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board.
  2. Encryption – Apart from state regulation, it’s also essential that the betting site has its own security features. SSL encryption is mandatory nowadays, so we always check if their certificate is valid. This is very important since online sportsbooks hold lots of sensitive information about their customers, such as payment method details and social security numbers. 
  3. Responsible gambling – One of our primary goals is to promote responsible betting. That’s why we always check if sportsbook shares our values by providing appropriate safety tools to its customers. This includes but is not limited to self-exclusion, time out, betting limits, etc. 
  4. Comparison – In this step, we compare this bookmaker’s safety features with its competitors. The goal here is to determine where they rank among their peers and whether this sportsbook is good enough to recommend over some other.  
 

Bonuses

US Sportsbooks offer a range of welcome bonuses and an extensive selection of promotions for existing customers. We list, explain and compare all the special offers available when reviewing betting sites.

  1. Welcome bonus – Welcome offers are your gateway to online sportsbooks, so we always look at them with special interest. These promotions usually come in the form of matched deposit bonuses or risk-free bets.
  2. Terms and conditions – Clearly written terms and conditions are a sign of a great sportsbook. We try to explain what those terms mean for players and point out any negative impacts, such as high wagering requirements or payment method restrictions. 
  3. Promotions – Apart from welcome bonuses, sportsbooks in the US also offer a plethora of promotions for registered customers. These can be anything from simple free bets to special offers for big sports events. 
  4. VIP and loyalty rewards – Loyalty programs offer excellent incentives to regular customers. Our evaluation covers the level of loyalty, how to earn rewards points, and the perks of loyalty membership.
  5. Comparison – By cross-comparing bonuses from different operators, we ensure that our readers always get the best possible promo offers. 
 

Odds and Markets

Selection of markets and quality of odds are probably two of the most important factors we consider. They directly affect your potential profits, so learning as many details as possible is always worthwhile. 

Apart from the odds and markets, we also examine other factors that affect the betting experience, such as live betting, cashback, and other betting features. 

  1. Odds – Every review includes an odds comparison test, where we put the sportsbook we review against its top competitors. We also compare odds across different sports and point out if a betting site is especially good or bad for betting on some particular sport.
  2. Markets – Having a great selection of markets is a sign of an excellent betting site. We check the selection of markets per sport and look at everything from basic match bets to handicaps and props. 
  3. Sports – We recommend only sportsbooks with an extensive range of sports. Apart from the most popular ones, like football, baseball, and basketball, top betting sites usually cover many other less popular sports. 
  4. Live betting – Live betting is one of the most sought-after features at online betting sites, so we review everything from the range of in-play odds and markets to the design of the live betting platform. 
  5. Betting features – Useful features such as bet builders and cashback can make betting much more convenient. That’s why our experts closely look at them and list their findings. 
  6. Comparison – Apart from listing what’s available, we also put sportsbook’s betting offer against its competitors, so you always end up with the highest odds and best market selection. 
 

Mobile

Every decent sportsbook in the US offers bespoke betting apps for iOS and Android platforms. Our reviews show how to get these apps and everything they offer regarding odds, markets, bonuses, and betting features. 

  1. Mobile-friendliness – Here, we look at the overall feeling of a betting app and how compatible it is with different mobile devices.
  2. App availability – It’s very important that the betting app is readily available from Play Store or App Store. However, some sportsbook apps require you to download them directly from the betting site. 
  3. Navigation – We always test app navigation to see if it’s easy enough to find markets, odds, cashier, and everything else you may need. 
  4. Support – Our experts test how you can contact customer support when betting on mobile and their average response time. 
  5. Comparison – In the end, we compare how well the app performs in comparison with others. 
 

Payment Methods

Payment methods are another important factor to consider when choosing your next online sportsbook. When picking the most suitable banking option, you need to think about deposit limits, withdrawal times, and even fees. 

We list all the available payment options and point out the most convenient ones. You should also think about security, but luckily, all the sportsbooks and payment methods we recommend are tested and 100% safe. 

  1. Variety – We take a look at the number of available payment methods and whether the most popular ones are available.
  2. Process – Our experts test how quick and convenient it is to deposit or request a withdrawal from a betting site. 
  3. Transaction times – Every payment method needs some time to process payment. Some require just a few hours, while others take days. The good thing is that most of the deposit methods are instant, while you’ll have to wait at least a day or two to withdraw your winnings. 
  4. Limits & fees – Most sportsbooks cap the minimum deposit at around $10, while the maximum limits can be as high as $50000. There aren’t any extra fees for the most part. Even when there are some extra charges, we clearly state that. 
  5. Comparison – We compare not only the sheer number of payment options but also limits, waiting times and fees. 
 

Support

Customer support is your direct connection with the sportsbook, so it must be quick and reliable. That’s why we check response times, as well as the channels you can use to reach them. Since most bettors use live chat support, we focus on it the most, apart from checking email and phone availability. 

  1. Support options – There are usually several support options available, including phone, email, live chat, and social media.
  2. Working hours – We check when customer support is available. Ideally, support agents should be on your service 24/7, but that’s not always the case. 
  3. Respond times – To test this, we send a few emails, call a few numbers and try to contact customer support via live chat. After we get a response, our experts showcase the results in reviews. 
  4. Knowledge – Customer support should be both quick and knowledgeable, so we test how they handle some of the usual problems bettors face. 
  5. Comparison – Here, we compare the number of customer support options, waiting times, and the quality of service across the market.  
 

Why Trust Us?

Our strict review method allows us to make as unbiased sportsbook reviews as possible. This means that everything you can read on our site is fact-checked and backed with serious research. 

We also provide an expert opinion on the subjects like the user experience and the overall feel of a betting site. But even in those cases, we try to be objective and explain our claims. 

Below you can take a look at a few more reasons why you should trust us, as well as the list of things we still need to work on. 

Pros
  • We review only legal and licensed US betting sites
  • All claims are fact-checked
  • Sportsbooks organized by state availability
  • Betting information for almost every US state
  • Bonuses and T&Cs are regularly updated
  • We explain everything regarding the legality of online betting
Cons
  • Not every US betting site has been reviewed yet
  • We're still new to the US market
 

Not All Review Sites are Reliable

There seems to be an almost unlimited stream of betting reviews on the internet, but not all of them are reliable. Most of them are biased in some way, meaning their recommendations may not be the best for you. 

That’s why it’s important to be able to recognize bias in online sportsbook reviews. Below are a few of the most common ways betting reviewers cut corners. If you notice anything like this, we advise you to check other reviews before signing up with a new sportsbook. 

No data to support claims

Reviewers sometimes make claims without proper research. It’s essential to check if data back their reviews. This is easiest to spot when some very strong claims are made.

Brief betting reviews

Short reviews without too many specific details usually mean that reviewers haven’t done their homework. This doesn’t mean only long reviews are reliable, but the lack of information is typically a sign of a bad review.

Vague rating rules

Rating rules have to be very strict so you can be sure that every online sportsbook is held to the same standard. On top of that, all rating rules should be publically available. That way, everyone can check if they like how reviews are made.

Top lists change regularly

It’s improbable that several sportsbooks change their bonuses and features simultaneously, which is why a regular change of top lists is a sign of unreliable reviews. Trustworthy sites tend to hold to their claims and don’t change top lists that often.

Conclusion

It’s always worthwhile to check sportsbook reviews before signing in with a new betting site. With our help, we will ensure you always end up with a licensed betting site that offers excellent odds and a plethora of betting features. 

In case you’re unsure what betting site to pick, we also provide a range of sportsbook top lists based on different criteria. All our claims are fact-checked and backed by serious research, which is why you can be sure that you’ll always end up with a sportsbook that best fits your needs. 

FAQs

Our goal is to have the most comprehensive and reliable sportsbook reviews on the internet. To achieve that goal, we had to develop a process that covers everything US bettors have to know before signing up with a new betting site. 

The core principles are always the same, but we add new things every now and then to keep our reviews in line with the changes in the market and new betting products. 

Each sportsbook rating has five separate subcategories that together give the final score. We consider everything from apps and bonuses to state availability. 

The team of USBetting experts writes all the reviews you can find on the site. They keep them up to date and filled with all the essential information. With over ten years of combined experience, our experts bring more than enough experience to the table. 

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