There are many reasons why bettors should use online sportsbooks as opposed to local neighborhood bookmakers, primary of which centers on the legality of offshore betting compared with the illegality of back alley bookies. But there are other important reasons why anyone using a local out should now consider betting over the internet.

1. Since we are on the subject, the corner guy probably will not have you betting over the Net, although we don't doubt there are a few innovators who've put up their own web sites (Offshore call centers often serve this purpose). Online betting is so much more convenient than calling Louie over the phone during crunch time when chances are he's busy with a half dozen other clients giving more action than you are. Louie has to have his priorities straight and you might not be at the top of his list.

2. Fast payouts. Interestingly enough there are sportsbooks (perhaps a majority of them) that pay out faster than Louie the Local. In some cases, sportsbooks will pay same day NETeller right into one's account (often times the money is there within an hour). Western Union is another option that allows for immediate pay out and is offered by the vast majority of internet sportsbooks. In fact, Western Union remains among the most popular method of transferring money to and from online gambling establishments. Bank wires might take an average of 4 days, but this could still be faster than trying to track down Louie.

3. Cash and match play bonuses. A number of our endorsed sportsbooks (http://www.gambling911.com/online-sport-book-betting.html) here at Sports911 including WageronSports, Sportsbook911.com, Bodog.com, MyBookie.com, Sports Interaction and MVP Sportsbook are now offering 20% signup bonuses for a limited time only. What this means is if you were to deposit $500, another $100 would then be added. Keep in mind that most books require a 4 time or higher rollover (Bodog.com only requires a 1 time rollover). Match play bonuses entail being able to bet with money that is now yours, however, the initial percentage cannot be withdrawn, you can only add to it. Even 10% bonuses are better than what any local bookie will offer and nearly all offshore shops offer at least 10% sign up incentives.

4. Losses back. A number of sportsbooks including our own Sportsbook911.com offer 5% in losses back. This means you can lose money and recover a small amount of these funds at a later date. Don't expect Louie the Local Bookie to include such a deal.

5. Reduced juice. Pinnacle Sports allows bettors to wager $107 to win $100, thus significantly cutting into the overall profit margin. This does not matter with an establishment such as Pinnacle since they rely heavily on volume. Reduced vig is a risky prospect with most books. Normally when betting the favorite, a gambler must wager $110 to win $100 or any other variation of this ratio. The $10 difference represents bookmaker profit. Because reduced juice does cut into the revenue stream over time it only makes sense the sports bettors will notice a healthy profit on their end over time by always wagering reduced vig. It may not seem like a lot at first, but these numbers certainly add up. Placing 200 bets over a period of time at $107 a pop to win $100 amounts to a $600 savings. For anyone familiar with investments and interest rates, this is a damn good showing. It gets better for those gambling $1070 to win $1000 since now you are saving $30 with every wager. Assuming 200 bets over a period of time at $1070 a pop to win $1000, one could realize a $6000 savings.

6. More variety. The online sportsbooks tend to offer more variety, especially when it comes to props and half time wagering. There are also many types of bets not found with Local Louie including the 5 inning run lines. Locals usually are not as familiar with international sports whereas there are online shops like Pinnacle and Sports Interaction that feature everything from cricket to the Gaelic soccer league.

7. Discovering value. The locals will shade lines on home town favorite teams whereas betting online takes away much of the regional influences (even if the bookie's roots in New York, Los Angeles, etc... do still have lingering affects). By betting over the internet, you have a choice among more than one out that allows for line shopping and middling. Sports911.com highly recommends opening accounts with at least three different sportsbooks to take full advantage of variations in lines. Sports Interaction, for example, is known for displaying odds that are often quite a bit off from the more "sharper" Don Best books like Pinnacle and Skybook. Hence, it would be beneficial to maintain accounts at both Skybook and Sports Interaction.

8. Better limits. Some will argue this is not always the case but when it comes to the minimums, online sportsbooks beat out the locals any day with some web sites allowing as little as $1 bets. There are shops like Pinnacle and Skybook that allow high rollers to bet in excess of $100,000 over the phone. Try finding a local that takes that type of action.

9. Credit cards. They are convenient and most sportsbooks accept both Mastercard and Visa.

10. Large solid companies. Sure there are your mom and pop boiler room shops offshore but a number of these companies like Sportsbook.com, BetonSports, WageronSports (WWTS) and Bodog.com to name a few are multi million dollar enterprises, most of whom now maintain separate escrow accounts.

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FantasyBetsZone
great article! I copied and pasted it at my FantasyBetsZone Forum! Thanks Sting your information with this industry are amazing!

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STING
Thanks Fantasy Bet Zone where have you been hiding? :)

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TheInsider
10. Large solid companies. Sure there are your mom and pop boiler room shops offshore but a number of these companies like Sportsbook.com, BetonSports, WageronSports (WWTS) and Bodog.com to name a few are multi million dollar enterprises, most of whom now maintain separate escrow accounts.

And one of those companies is MULTI-BILLION.

- TheInsider

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FantasyBetsZone
Thanks Fantasy Bet Zone where have you been hiding? :)

i posted at the other thread where I have been :) so go look for it!

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