Ratings Guide – How We Standout from Sportsbook Review Sites

HOW WE RATE ‘EM: SPORTSBOOK NATION uses a simple and effective rating system. The more stars you see across a sportsbook the better we rate that sportsbook. Unlike other sportsbook review sites, SPORTSBOOKNATION uses a weighted grading system wherein SPORTSBOOKNATION editors value one category over another because of the fact that such categories have different levels of significance to the average bettor.

SPORTSBOOKNATION editors have ranked these categories according to importance and then have assigned different weighted scores to each accordingly:

RANK – CATEGORIES (WEIGHTED GRADE/PERCENTAGE)

1. PAYOUTS (25%) – One of the most frustrating parts of online sports betting is when customers don’t receive their money on time. How long does it take for a sportsbook to send you your money? Do they send it at all? Is the withdrawal process too tedious? SPORTSBOOKNATION understands these frustrations so the payout category is ranked as one of the more important categories in the ratings. The number one reason why bettors sign-up with sportsbooks is to win; and winning without getting paid means a book can’t be trusted with customer money.
2. BONUSES (25%) – Does your sportsbook give you more bang for your buck? What are the bonuses and/or promotions available and how frequently are they offered? Are they available for new sign-ups only or to long-time and loyal customers as well? SPORTSBOOKNATION believes that sportsbooks should take care of their customers through bonuses and similar promotions which make the betting experience worth more than what the customer initially invested.
3. CUSTOMER SERVICE (20%) – SPORTSBOOKNATION recognizes that competent and efficient sportsbook customer service is important for a smooth relationship between the customer and the sportsbook itself. When problems and questions arise, are there available methods for the customer to contact the sportsbook? Are they available via phone, email or chat? How long does a customer have to wait to get a response? And most important of all, are the customer service staff knowledgeable, fair and proficient in the English language?
4. DEPOSITS (15%) – Similar to the payout category, it’s frustrating to see a sportsbook with limited or difficult deposit options. Does your book provide you varied choices for a deposit? Can you do it via your credit card? Are cash and/or cheque transactions possible? It’s important to note as well that success rates of credit cards are highly considered in this rating. SPORTSBOOKNATION knows that good books have multiple options and a high success rate for these options. A good book should make it convenient for customers to deposit, period.
5. PRODUCT (15%) – How reliable is the software’s functionality? Are there any technical (website) problems causing it to go down constantly or any technical malfunctions causing undue delay to the bettor? Most books offer the same amount of content but are they up-to-date and consistent in posting the latest lines? What are the betting limits? Is it tailor-made for recreational players or sharp players? What added features are available? Does it carry in-running betting, live betting, mobile betting and even, poker? SPORTSBOOKNATION is all for the satisfaction of the average bettor and the quality of the product or software will assure them of a seamless and enjoyable betting experience of the customer.

OVERALL: For every featured sportsbook, SPORTSBOOKNATION will rate each category as follows. A rating of 1* means the lowest grade while 10* is the highest. This score will be recomputed against the default weighted grade which will produce an aggregate score for the overall rating of the sportsbook. The system of rating categories with a weighted grade means an overall rating which is objective and fair.

Here’s a quick explanation on how we arrive at the overall ratings using a weighted grading system and how it compares to the usual grading system:

USING SPORTSBOOKNATION’S WEIGHTED GRADING SYSTEM

USING EQUAL-WEIGHTED SYSTEM

USING SPORTSBOOKNATION’S WEIGHTED GRADING SYSTEM

Example 1: Sportsbook A Ratings

• A rating of 5 of 10* for Payouts (25%) for a weighted score of 12.5 (50% x 25)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Bonuses (25%) for a weighted score of 12.5 (50% x 25)
• A rating of 9 of 10* for CS (20%) for a weighted score of 18 (90% x 20)
• A rating of 9 of 10* for Product (15%) for a weighted score of 12 (80% of 15)
• A rating of 8 of 10* for Deposits (15%) for a weighted score of 12 (80% of 15)
• Sportsbook A Overall Rating: = 6.7 out of 100 (or 6.7 out of 10*)

Example 2: Sportsbook B Ratings

• A rating of 8 of 10* for Payouts (25%) for a weighted score of 20 (80% x 25)
• A rating of 8 of 10* for Bonuses (25%) for a weighted score of 20 (80% x 25)
• A rating of 9 of 10* for CS (20%) for a weighted score of 18 (90% x 20)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Product (15%) for a weighted score of 7.5 (50% of 15)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Deposits (15%) for a weighted score of 7.5 (50% of 15)
• Sportsbook B Overall Rating: = 73 out of 100 (or 7.3 out of 10*)

USING EQUAL-WEIGHTED SYSTEM

Example 3: Sportsbook A Ratings

• A rating of 5 of 10* for Payouts (20) for a weighted score of 10 (50% x 20)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Bonuses (20%) for a weighted score of 10 (50% x 20)
• A rating of 9 of 10* for CS (20%) for a weighted score of 18 (90% x 20)
• A rating of 8 of 10* for Product (20%) for a weighted score of 16 (80% of 20)
• A rating of 8 of 10* for Deposits (20%) for a weighted score of 16 (80% of 20)
• Sportsbook A Overall Rating: = 70 out of 100 (or 7.0 out of 10*)

Example 4: Sportsbook B Ratings

• A rating of 8 of 10* for Payouts (20) for a weighted score of 16 (50% x 20)
• A rating of 8 of 10* for Bonuses (20%) for a weighted score of 16 (50% x 20)
• A rating of 9 of 10* for CS (20%) for a weighted score of 18 (90% x 20)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Product (20%) for a weighted score of 10 (80% of 20)
• A rating of 5 of 10* for Deposits (20%) for a weighted score of 10 (80% of 20)
• Sportsbook B Overall Rating: = 70 out of 100 (or 7.0 out of 10*)

In the first example, we gave Sportsbook A good scores on Product and Deposits categories (with 15% weighted grades they are of least importance) but gave average scores on Payouts and Bonuses categories (25%, the top categories) while in the second example, we did the opposite and gave Sportsbook B good scores on Payouts and Bonuses categories and average scores on Products and Deposits. Using our weighted grading system, Sportsbook A had an overall rating of 6.7 stars compared to 7.3 stars for Sportsbook B.

Using the equal-weighted grading system (applied on Examples 3 and 4) and giving them the same scores in Examples 1 and 2, Sportsbook A and Sportsbook B ended up with the same score of 7.0 stars.

Despite rating lower in more important categories (Payout and Bonuses), Sportsbook A had the same overall score with Sportsbook B. However, with the SPORTSBOOKNATION weighted grading system and giving more value to the more important categories we have identified that Sportsbook B is better than Sportsbook A.

In establishing the weighted grading system, SPORTSBOOKNATION editors made a thorough research on customers’ needs and wants from their sportsbooks. The rankings for each category may or may not change over time as customers’ demands and interests change as well. SPORTSBOOKNATION welcomes any comments and/or questions regarding the SPORTSBOOKNATION weighted grading system.