Essential Betting Tips & Safe Options for Non-Regulated States

When it comes to betting on your beloved sports on the web there are a few key betting tips that all sports bettors should adhere to. For example, just because you lost all of your picks on Sunday, doesnā€™t mean you should try to "chase" your losses in the Monday Night Football game. Your wager amount shouldnā€™t be affected by how much youā€™re winning or losing ā€” betting with discipline almost always wins the race. Bet with your head, not with your heart, and donā€™t bet on your home team just because you really, reallyĀ want them to beat their divisional rivals. These are just a few tips weā€™ll cover on this page.

By the way, all the online betting tips we're about to cover can be applied by anyone ā€” even folks in states where betting is either barred or very limited. For instance, bettors in California (sports betting is prohibited here) or New Mexico (it is extremely limited) can use international betting sites to bet without worry. These sites are accessible worldwide, and many times, offer better playing experiences than licensed sites youā€™ve heard of like DraftKings. Yes, itā€™s safe too as long as you stick to our recommended sites. Weā€™ll explain more as we go, but here are some of our suggested sites to use:

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Top 5 Sports Betting Tips for U.S. Players Including Options For Non-Regulated States

If you can only follow five tips, make sure to prioritize these:

Pick the best sports betting site

No grown adult likes surprises anymore, especially when they involve getting your money in or out of a sportsbook. Itā€™s very important that you choose a recommended sports betting site. This is why weā€™ve made a list of the top sites based on a wide variety of factors including reputation, bonuses, customer service, and wagering options. In this section, we have put together a list of contributing factors that set apart the best sports betting sites from the average ones. Regardless of whether you are new or a veteran to sports betting on the web, itā€™s always very important to find a sportsbook that accepts players from your jurisdiction, has deposit and payout methods that you can live with, and offers betting lines and wager types that youā€™re looking for.

Sports betting bankroll management tips

As mentioned above, it is always crucial to pick a risk amount that you are comfortable with, regardless of whether you are on a hot streak or a cold one. Donā€™t let your emotions get the best of you leading you to try to chase your losses. Thereā€™s always another game and another shot so be patient and bet with a clear mind. If you make a $50 deposit into your account, $5/wager is a reasonable risk amount (it's 10 percent of your balance). In sports betting you donā€™t need to go all-in on just a single game, this is not poker. Itā€™s always good to keep at least $25 in your balance at all times because you never know when you might get a hot tip or last-minute injury prior to game time and you may not have enough time to make a deposit.

Drunk bets are bad bets

Drunken bets can only be good bets in two possible scenarios; one, if you win the bet, and two, if you were so drunk that you didnā€™t realize that you ever lost the bet or even made a bet. In other words, leave the drunken bets to players who enjoy losing, and losing big amounts. Over the years we have witnessed many of bet gone wrong stories because of drunken Tom Foolery. Not choosing the correct winner is not always the result of a drunk bet, sometimes players just click on the wrong box entirely thinking they placed the bet correctly when under the influence. Next thing you know they are betting their whole balance on a WNBA game. This is not to say that you canā€™t have a couple of beers to get you in the mood, just donā€™t go overboard. Buzzed betting is drunk betting.

Which sportsbook has the best sign-up bonus?

Before choosing an online sportsbook, take a look at the available signup bonuses available to new players in order to capitalize on the best online sports betting bonuses. There are a lot of sports betting sites with a different signup bonus for each of them. Unfortunately going through each sportsbook to find the best bonus is time-consuming and may lead to you throwing your computer/phone out the window. This is why we have made it easy for you by grouping all the best online sports betting bonuses on one page for easy comparison. We only wish everything in life was this organized.

Compare Sports Betting Lines

Different online sportsbooks have different sports betting lines. Some sportsbooks post their lines days in advance of the game, some only hours before. This is why it is really important to have more than one sportsbook account so that you add more choice/spice to your life. With our simple-to-navigate sports betting lines comparison tool, you can easily see which sports betting site is offering the best odds for your particular wager. For example, in Super Bowl LVIII if you were hell-bent on taking the 49ers on the moneyline, it was important that you chose the sportsbook with the best payout odds for the underdog. Do this research before betting and put your money wherever it's being valued most.

Safe And Legal Betting Options For Non-Regulated States

You just got five advanced sports betting tips. Now itā€™s time to apply them, and we just want to get across that international sportsbooks are often your ā€œbest betā€ for doing so.

International sportsbooks, as the name hints, work anywhere and everywhere. This is because the sites operate offshore locations where betting is legal and take in users from everywhere, especially those living in places where betting is not allowed. That accessibility is a huge reason why we advocate for international bookies. Plus, theyā€™re safe to use, by and large.

Beyond that, these offshore sites are just flat-out good bookmakers. They offer odds in line with what youā€™d see in a Las Vegas sportsbook, and even have more betting markets. Things like politics or entertainment can ONLY be bet at these international bookies, which are much less restrictive than licensed counterparts.

How To Choose A Trusted International Sportsbook

There are hundreds of international sportsbooks. Hundreds! Of course, not all of ā€˜em are worth your time and money. Hereā€™s how to go about finding a good and trustworthy bookmaker:

Reviews: start by analyzing reviews ā€” both online and our unbiased reviews. If the site is sketchy, then it wonā€™t be hard to find a laundry list of negative reviews about it. Immediately disqualify those sites from contention. At the same time, gauge which sites have more positive sentiment (no site will ever have perfect reviews). Those that do should be on top of your list.

Security features: To ensure your key information (e.g. debit card or address) is being stored safely, the sportsbook MUST have SSL encryption on its site. Itā€™s often illustrated with a padlock icon on your browser near the web address. If your browser is at all warning the site isnā€™t secure, run in the other direction. Your personal information (especially financial one) is never worth risking like this.

Licensing: It's a good idea to align with bookmakers operating out of reputable jurisdictions like Malta and Curacao. Both these countries freely allow betting so you don't run the risk of having the betting operation shut down (and your money locked inside forever).

Maximizing Bonuses On International Sportsbooks

Hereā€™s another big advantage international sportsbooks have over ā€œregulatedā€ sites: bonuses: international bookies are often more giving when it comes to promos, which means more free bets for bettors.

We canā€™t possibly compare and contrast every single deal out there. However, hereā€™s ā€œthe skinnyā€ on analyzing offers from site to site. Look closely at the match percentage and max bonus. The match percentage tells you how much a sportsbook will match your deposit (if you can get 100 percent, thatā€™s really, really good). The max bonus tells you what amount the reward tops out at. Higher is better here, obviously. All sign-up and reload bonuses will advertise these two things openly in the dealā€™s promotion.

Read the above paragraph twice so you truly understand how to analyze deals. Itā€™s a crucial skill for maximizing betting bonuses and gambling using ā€œhouse money.ā€

Here are a few reload bonuses currently available (these can change so double-check with the sites to be sure everything is accurate):

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Finding The Best Odds On International Platforms

Remember how we said there are hundreds of international sportsbooks out there? Well, there is. The good thing about this predicament is these sites often try to ā€œoutdoā€ one another. We mean, they have to in order to stand out and draw bettors to their site. This ends up becoming a boon to bettors who have free-play deals thrown at them like candy.

However, this high level of competition also creates opportunities for better odds. Donā€™t think every single bet is valued at the same exact price across the board. No, no, some sites offer lines more cheaply to bettors, or the opposite, more expensive. Of course, as a bettor, you want the cheapest prices thatā€™ll ensure the most betting value for you.

How do you find the best prices? With a line shopping strategy, thatā€™s how. This could be as simple as checking multiple sites before placing your wager. If you find a discrepancy in your favor, hammer the bet on that site. However, there are online tools (often paid ones) thatā€™ll do this work for you. Either way, itā€™s in your best interest to look for the best odds BEFORE finalizing a bet.

Diversity Your Bets Across Multiple Sportsbooks

Weā€™ve offered up tips on sports betting psychology and avoiding betting pitfalls. But hereā€™s an even more simple tip: use more than one international sportsbook. Seriously, you donā€™t need to have all your money and promotions tied to a single platform. In fact, we strongly suggest NOT doing this.

Why? Because as weā€™ve covered already, sportsbooks are fighting for your attention and dollar. This competition creates opportunities for you as a bettor. A bettor promotion, a better-priced line, a special contest, etc. If youā€™re betting footprint is spread out to multiple platforms, youā€™ll have a chance at getting in on these market opportunities when they present themselves, which they will.

Plus, you never want to be ā€œall inā€ in betting. Not just with a single bet, but a single platform. Losing your only betting account ā€” either by you legit forgetting it or worse, being kicked out of the site ā€” is a scenario you donā€™t ever want to be in, no matter what.


Other Pages in this Betting Guide

Winning Strategies Used by Winning Bettors

Software: Tools That Give you an Edge

Stats & Trends: Use them to your Advantage

Our How-To-Bet Guide for Newbies