How We Review

Every betting site we recommend is tested over a full month under real conditions. Our testing involves placing at least 20 real-money bets across different sports, markets, and features. 

Each review is handled by an experienced in-house writer, supported by feedback from a team of over 10 seasoned bettors. Together, we bring more than 25 years of combined online betting experience to every review.

We track wins, losses, payouts, customer service interactions, and more to create a full picture of what you can actually expect. Here are the factors we look at:

• Customer support response and resolution time
• Deposit and withdrawal speeds
• Desktop site navigation and usability
• Mobile app speed and reliability
• Sports variety and event coverage
• Depth of betting markets
• Innovation in bet types and features
• Competitiveness and stability of odds
• Value and fairness of ongoing promotions
• Real terms behind welcome offers and other bonuses
• Simplicity of registration and verification
• In-play betting speed and live streaming quality
• Maximum payout limits and winnings policy
• Account security and responsible gambling features
• Handling of disputes and bet settlement accuracy

Once the initial review is complete, we bring in the real muscle: a panel of 10 seasoned betting experts. Over a two-week period, every member dives deep into the site.

Each expert submits an independent rating. They also challenge the original review, questioning points, adding missed insights, and sometimes calling out flaws that only a truly experienced bettor would catch.

At the same time, we run a full fact-check and editorial review to make sure nothing slips through. By the end, the content you read is the result of a rigorous, multi-angle critique by people who know the industry inside out and aren’t afraid to call out the good, the bad, and the ugly. 
 

After our resident pros have tested the bookmaker, we hand it over to our readers and invite you to review and see our rates for the specific betting site. All community members’ ratings are aggregated to provide you with a broader perspective.

To give you an instant, industry-contextualized benchmark, every review features the SB Market Index ratings; a 0-5 score that combines:

• 80% Industry Insight: Normalized ratings from leading external review sites
• 20% SB Score: Our own expert evaluation

We also display a Safety Score showing how many external sources were factored in, so you can quickly gauge each Index’s reliability.

For full methodology, see our separate “What Is the SB Market Index?” page.

We understand that betting sites are constantly updating their bonuses and features, which is why the team updates reviews monthly to ensure all the information is correct. 

If there are any significant changes to our sportsbook’s operations or a big shift in the user ratings, we’ll investigate and potentially write a full re-review ASAP! 
 

To see how the sportsbook stacks up against the competition, we compare it to other sites and pay close attention to odds, betting markets, and bonus differences. We also provide the best alternatives.

The best betting sites excel based on these factors: 

• Competitive odds across markets 
• Smooth, intuitive site and app experience 
• Genuine bonuses and ongoing rewards 
• High-quality live streaming and in-play features 
• Depth of markets 
• Responsive customer service 
• Early market pricing 
• Don’t limit winning bettors