It’s not a stretch to say that sports betting apps are taking over the world. In the span of a few years, dozens of states have legalized sports betting, leading to a huge collection of apps that have tried hard to court customers. Of course, the betting laws are a little different in each state and not every betting app is available in every state.
That being said, there are surely some betting platforms that stand out from the crowd. Admittedly, good marketing is a part of that. But in terms of functionality and customer experience, how are the top sports betting apps standing out from the rest? Let’s take a look at some of the features that the best sports betting platforms tend to offer.
Betting Guide
The best sportsbooks have nothing to hide; therefore, they will be transparent with everything. This includes a betting guide that shares details on how to place different types of bets and how to navigate their platform. The betting guide will aim to answer all questions a user might have, although most will also have an FAQ page. This might sound basic, but top-notch sportsbooks will always nail the basics.
Live Betting
Betting on a sporting event while it’s still being played has become increasingly popular among bettors. This allows bettors to see how the game is playing out and make their bets based on that, albeit with odds changing. There are also betting markets related to the next big event or the next play in a game, which is becoming increasingly popular with bettors. Naturally, it’s not easy to offer this type of betting, which is why the best apps will have it while others won’t.
Live Streaming
The best apps will understand that fans don’t have unlimited access to watching games at all times. Therefore, they offer the ability to live-stream games right on the platform.
This means that bettors can follow the action after placing a wager on an event. After all, if someone is going to place a bet on a game, it only makes sense that there should be a way for them to watch that game.
Responsible Gaming Tools
The top sports betting apps are trying to turn a profit, but they aren’t trying to take advantage of people. They also don’t want people to develop bad habits, which is why they have tools that promote safe and responsible gambling habits. These tools allow players to put limits on themselves so that they don’t unknowingly exceed those boundaries and lose more than they can afford to lose. Sportsbooks with responsible gaming tools like this care about the well-being of customers and are a lot more trustworthy.
Niche Sports
This is one area where most sportsbooks aren’t created equal. Of course, all of them cover major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. But there is often a difference in what sports and leagues are covered beyond the obvious.
There are sports betting apps that cover more niche sports like rugby, cricket, cycling, handball, table tennis, and others while some apps stay away from these sports because they aren’t popular enough. This can make a huge difference in the overall options that bettors have with these apps. There has also been a huge growth in the popularity of esports in recent years, although some platforms are lagging behind when it comes to betting markets for esports, allowing other sportsbooks to stand out.
Diverse Deposit and Withdrawal Options
Every sportsbook offers deposit and withdrawal methods, although some offer more options than others. The top sportsbooks will have a wide variety of options like e-wallets, credit cards, and bank transfers whereas others will have a more limited selection. There is also a clear divide growing between the apps that allow bettors to make deposits via cryptocurrency and those that haven’t joined the crypto bandwagon yet. For some, this is a critical way that betting apps are differentiating themselves from the competition, as cryptocurrency appears to be here to stay.
Customer Support
Naturally, all betting platforms have customer support, but some do it much better than others. Some apps will have several methods of contacting them, including email, phone number, or live chat function. For some betting platforms, not all of those methods will be available or they may not be available 24/7. Obviously, the better sports betting apps are the ones that offer more ways for customers to receive support and have their questions answered. This shows more of a commitment to users and providing a positive experience on the app.