Opening a new bookmaker account is an exciting process, yet it can often lead to confusion and mistakes for any newbies out there.
We’ve written this article to help you get started with a new betting account as soon as possible. Simply follow the process below and you’ll have a brand new betting account open in no time.
How to open a betting account
In the modern world of online gambling, opening a new bookmaker account couldn’t be easier. Betting companies have worked hard to make the process easy to follow so that you can get started quickly.
Follow the simple steps below to open your new betting account:
Note: I’m going to open an account with Smarkets betting exchange.
Step 1 – Head to your chosen bookmaker
So the first step is to head to your preferred bookmaker (more on this later) and click the create account or register button. You’ll usually find these links in the top left or right, like the Smarkets example below.
Depending on whether you land directly at Smarkets or come via Google, you may see a different landing page from the one above. However, they all do the same thing, so not to worry.
It’s important to add that you may have to follow a certain link to activate your welcome free bet or bonus.
Step 2 – Complete required forms
The next step in opening a new account requires you to fill in your personal information. Most bookmakers require at least the following:
- Email address
- Your full name
- Date of birth
- Your home address
Depending on whether you’re completing this process on a desktop or mobile, you may be able to autofill this information. If that’s the case double-check everything to make sure it’s all correct.
The bookmakers carry out stringent checks to make sure you are who you say you are. You may be required to add some kind of ID as proof.
In certain cases, the identification process may take some time. This happened to me when I first opened a Coral account.
Whilst it’s incredibly annoying at the time, it only lasts for a little while. You’ll soon have your new betting account open and ready to use.
Step 3 – Deposit into your account
At most betting websites, the next page will prompt you to deposit into your new account. You can often skip ahead of this section if you wish. However, I recommend you deposit a small amount or the required amount to activate your free bet or bonus.
Step 4 – Familiarise yourself
Once you’ve got access to your new account, it’s time to have a look around. Familiarise yourself with where the most important links and buttons are.
At Smarkets you can find all your current bets in the right-hand column with popular events underneath. All the other categories and markets can be found on the left-hand side of the website.
Now you know more about how to open a new bookmaker account, let’s look at which accounts you should consider opening.
The easiest bookmakers to open an account with
It’s fair to say, most online bookmakers are incredibly easy to create a new account with. However, as you’d expect, the larger and more popular betting companies are the easiest to register with.
Here’s a list of the easiest bookmakers to open an account with, in 2019:
- Smarkets – you can’t deny the process above was pretty straightforward
- Bet365
- Skybet
- Betfair
Should you open more than one bookmaker account?
With hundreds of online bookmakers available, should you open more than one account?
There are pros and cons to both options.
Benefits of opening multiple accounts
- Line shopping
- Access more bonuses
Line shopping
This may be a new term for some of you. In simple terms, line shopping refers to the process of finding the best value odds for a given market.
Not all bookmakers offer the same odds meaning there’s always value in looking around. With only one betting account, this is not possible. In this regard, it’s better to open more than one bookmaker account.
If you open an account with a betting exchange, like Smarkets, you’re likely to get great odds most of the time anyway so you won’t need to use line shopping.
Access more bonuses
The bookies offer new customers bonuses and welcome offers which are well worth taking advantage of.
For example, Smarkets offer a £10 free bet for every bettor who opens a new account with them. You can find this offer here.
The more bonuses you take advantage of, the better. What’s more, using strategies like matched betting, you can make a guaranteed profit from these offers.
It’s not just sign-up offers that are worth opening an account for either. Most bookies offer existing customers offers as well. These are known as reload offers and there’s plenty of these available daily.
Disadvantages of opening multiple accounts
The main disadvantage of opening more than one account is that it will take longer to master one bookie.
Some betting websites are not the easiest to navigate your way around.
It may take some time to get used to the Betfair layout for example. As you can see from the screenshot below, their site is rather complicated.
Overall, I’ll leave the ultimate decision to you. However, I recommend you start with one or two bookies at most. Once you get the hang of one, you can move onto another one and start placing bets there.
Picking the best bookmakers to open an account with
So you’ve decided you’re just going to open one bookmaker, great decision! Now you’re confused as to which one is the best option.
This is a common question we get asked. It’s no surprise when there are so many different companies out there all offering slightly different platforms. Here are a few things to consider:
Number of markets available
Bookmakers offer hundreds of different markets these days. However, if you want to place your bets on less popular sporting events, you should pick one of the following bookies.
- Bet365
- Betfair
These sites have the most markets available.
Bookmaker welcome offers
You could base your decision on the welcome bonus the bookie offers. Some are £50 free bets whereas others are just £10. However, they’re all worth completing in the long run.
For a complete list of the best bookmakers and the main ones to consider, head to this article.
All in all, I hope this article has helped you set up your new bookmaker account so you can get started right away.
Let me know which new bookmaker account you decide to open by leaving a comment below right now.