What is a bookmaker’s payout rate?
The payout rate, or odds ratio is a percentage value that indicates what proportion of your stakes will come back to you in the long run. On average, the ratio should approximately fall between 93 and 97 percent. The remaining amount is retained by the sports betting provider as a fee for their services. The bookmakers usually earn their money with this fee. There are also promotions, for example, where a game is offered with a 100% payout rate. In this case, the odds are particularly attractive and the bookmaker has basically no winning margin left for this game. The odds ratios can differ from league to league, which is why our calculation represents an average value from the top leagues. We also repeat this calculation at certain intervals in order to be able to offer you the latest accurate numbers.
Which markets does the betting site offer and focus on?
We put the best online betting sites through their paces and thus take a look at the available betting markets. For our test, we have defined 10 markets that we believe should be part of a betting site’s standard sportsbook. These betting markets are important for our comparison:
- 1X2 or three-way bet – the classic sports bet with three different possibilities – win for team A or B or a draw.
- Both teams score – goal bets are very popular, you can bet on whether both teams will score or not – especially with the option “no” high odds are possible.
- Over/Under – how many goals will be scored in the match? How many cards will be shown? These bets are enormously diverse, as there are many different options. This betting market can also appear in combination with either first or second half or as a player special (e.g. Haaland to have over 2.5 shots on target).
- Double Chance – another important bet market, where two different outcomes of a match (for example 1X – win team 1 or draw) lead to success. Naturally the odds for these markets are usually lower.
- Half Time/Final result – which team is leading at half time or winning the match? A slightly more complex betting market, but one that provides plenty of excitement
- Exact result – you can bet on the exact final score of a match, the odds are higher here from the start because the likelihood of the correct score prediction to be true is low.
- Draw No Bet (DNB) – the odds are lower than for a 1X2 bet, but if a draw happens, you get your stake back.
- 1X2 1st or 2nd half result – a three-way bet is placed on the result in either half, especially a draw in half-time 1 is a popular bet.
- Goalscorer bets – which player will score or who will score the first goal of the match? A great betting market, which unfortunately not all bookmakers offer. In many cases, you can also bet on who will score the last goal.
- Handicap – here we distinguish between Asian and European handicap – with the European or normal handicap you can let a team start with a fictitious goal ahead or behind (also 2 or more goals are possible). The Asian handicap is somewhat more complex, as 0.5 or 0.25 points/goals can also be added or subtracted. This means that you can get back a certain percentage of your stake depending on how close your bet came to winning.
In order to fully comprehend our Premier League betting tips for instance, it is vital that you have a grasp of all the betting markets listed above. If you understand the intricacies of the different betting markets, you will be able to fully appreciate our betting expertise.
Which features are important in a betting site?
In addition to the sports book and the odds, we test many other criteria. Is there a betting welcome bonus? What are the conditions? Are there daily or weekly promotions? Can I bet with enhanced odds? Is it possible to watch free live streams? Are there promotions where I can win free bets? We will get to the bottom of these questions in our thorough bookmaker comparison. With all the details, we collect and adjust monthly for you, you can immediately see who the best bookie is at the moment.
Mobile sportsbook and betting apps
The majority of visitors to a sports betting provider’s website use a mobile device. Therefore, the mobile version must be fully convincing in order to be able to compete in our test. Some bookmakers offer an app for download, with the advantage that you don’t always have to enter the provider’s address in the browser and your settings are constantly saved. The bottom line with a strong mobile version is that the most important functions are easy to access and there are no differences to the desktop version. These experiences are included in our overall test.
Payment methods and ID verification
The deposit and withdrawal methods are also an important criterion when evaluating an online betting provider. Not every bookie has the same methods, whereby a differentiation must also be made between deposit and withdrawal, as there can be differences here. The limits are also different for each bookmaker, which is why it is advisable to take a close look at the data. In addition, fees can also be charged, so you should definitely do your research with due dilligence before selecting a payment method.
Due to legal differences in the regulations of individual countries, the bookmakers also have different procedures and obligations when establishing the correct identity of players. As a rule, this is done by means of online verifications in which you have to upload identification documents or hold them up to the camera. Only then is it possible to enjoy the full range of services offered by the provider.
