How We Rate Top Offshore Sportsbooks

Without a reliable rating process for online sportsbooks, it’s tough to determine which are best. It also leaves space for mediocre brands to slip through the net. That’s never going to happen at Top Offshore Sportsbooks (TOS).

Choosing a new betting site from a sea of potential candidates can sometimes be daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. We only recommend 100% safe and secure sites to our readers. So, when you sign up for a betting site from our rankings, it comes with our seal of approval.

Our Review Process Explained

Transparency is the bedrock of our reviews. You get to see the good and bad of all the sportsbooks we rate, which are crucial to trust and honesty. By providing in-depth, unbiased evaluations of offshore betting sites, it’s easier for you to choose where to bet.

We keep things fair and balanced by awarding sites a score out of 10. We explain how we work that number out later. For now, here’s an explanation of each numerical bracket in our grading system.

Put simply, we only rank the very best offshore sportsbooks. While we review countless online bookies throughout the weeks and months of a year, only a small number make our rankings.

By adopting this review process – and using it for every site we review – we can also ensure all bookies and brands are rated fairly and consistently. What’s more, we always have several reviewers working together to make sure nothing is missed.

Top Offshore Sportsbooks Rating Criteria

We approach bookie reviews with the understanding that certain factors carry more weight than others. For instance, safety and security account for 25% of our overall ratings, or 2.5 out of 10. Factors like odds and markets (18%) as well as sportsbook bonuses and rewards (15%) are also crucial indicators of quality.

In total, we evaluate offshore betting sites across ten different categories, each contributing to the final score that determines our rankings. When we have tallied up a potential score out of 100%, we then express this in a simpler rating out of 10. This helps us create a truer and more reliable methodology when rating offshore bookies.

Safety and Security (25%)

The first thing we look to establish when rating a site is that they are safe, secure, and have a sound reputation. We look for licensed offshore betting sites with valid security certificates, Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption, and secure payment options.

We assign a numerical score based on how well an offshore bookie prioritizes your safety, with 25 as the maximum. The best bookies usually get 2.5 points, meaning a top site passes this grade with 25 out of 100.

Betting Odds & Markets (18%)

Finding the best betting odds online means comparing across different bookies. Whether it’s top futures for horse racing betting odds, live football markets, or anything else, this category can make or break a site.

Betting odds and markets account for 18%, or 1.8 points, of our final rating out of 10. The bookies with the best odds and markets across a wide range of sports get top marks, or very close to perfect scores.

Sportsbook Bonuses & Rewards (15%)

The importance of bonuses and rewards speaks for itself. Whether it’s exciting new customer welcome offers or crypto bonuses with reloads, offshore bookies with the best offers do well in this category.

We award scores based on the quality of bonuses, rollover betting requirements, variety of offers, and other things like how easy they are to convert to real money. Although we consider all kinds of bonuses, we’re always happy when there’s a nice mix of new and existing customer promos.

Banking Options (12%)

Next up is banking options, which play another crucial role in determining the rating of a site. We want payment methods and withdrawal options that cater to a wide range of different players. Variety is key to ensuring you are happy and have more than one option to choose from.

The most common banking options we see are cards, cryptocurrencies, e-wallets, and bank transfers. Not all sites will have all these options, but most will provide at least two of them. Those with a steadier choice can score up to 1.2 points, which contributes up to 12% of our final rating.

User-Friendliness & Website Design (9%)

Some of us love a deftly designed site with lots of color and contrast. Others like to keep things simple, with no bells or whistles. Our reviewers, while fans of aesthetically pleasing offshore sportsbooks, value user-friendliness above all. This is what matters most.

Whether you’re betting in Arizona or Texas, you deserve an easy site to use that is positively signposted and laid out. Sites should be fast and easy to understand, with everything from placing a bet to cashing out as straightforward as possible.

Withdrawal Speed (8%)

The best offshore sports betting sites can get an additional 0.8 points in our ratings by having swift withdrawals. While instant withdrawals are the most desirable way to get your cash, this is simply not feasible for every sportsbook out there.

Sites that process payments in 24 hours or under get the highest scores, with each additional day leading to points being taken off. This way, the fastest-paying betting sites are recognized. You can spot them easier, too.

App & Mobile Site (7%)

Many of us bet with our smartphones or other mobile devices. For that reason, we need to ensure that offshore betting sites with good mobile sportsbooks get rewarded. If they have already done well in the categories above, they can earn an additional 7% toward their final rating.

While 0.7 points may not sound like much, it can sometimes be enough to push an online betting site into the exceptional category. It’s not that important for a bookie to have a native app these days, either – what we want to see is a fast, reliable, and exceptional mobile offering.

Customer Service (3%)

We take customer support seriously. Whether you’re new to online sports betting or simply have a query about a site’s payout process, for example, having someone there to provide answers is encouraging. Especially if those answers arrive in an acceptable timeframe.

Sites with knowledgeable customer service representatives can gain an additional 0.3 points in our rankings. We award top marks for sportsbooks and racebooks with a mix of live chat, email, online form, and telephone offerings. The most crucial factors are that support agents are knowledgeable and responsive.

Minimum Deposits (2%)

Sites with reasonable minimum deposits can attain another 2% toward their final ranking. What we look for is that minimum deposits are set at fair and reasonable amounts, which ensures that players of all backgrounds and bankrolls can have a shot.

In addition to minimum deposits in general, we also like to see bonuses carrying a fair minimum. Something that can leave a sour taste in the mouth is when sites have, say, a $20 min on everyday deposits but turn it up to $50 or more to claim a welcome offer. A sum well above their usual betting unit or bankroll figure.

Restrictions & Availability (1%)

By restrictions, we mean the number of states or jurisdictions barred from using a site. We cannot control laws or persuade any company to accept customers from as many different regions as possible. However, sites that are accessible to most US states and other areas will get another lift in their rating.

Availability can be an indicator of a strong offshore sportsbook. But as there are other things more important, we ensure that the contributing percentage (0.1 points) represents this. It is something we rate sites on but it’s not as impactful as safety, odds, or bonuses.

Additional Factors Used to Review Sportsbooks

Our unique rating system covers the fundamental aspects that matter most to our readers. Safety and security, odds and markets, bonuses and rewards… these are things that you should be aware of before signing up for a site.

However, we don’t stop there. We also examine other aspects and elements of offshore sportsbooks before recommending them to you. Here are some examples of what we look for.

• Consistency – We love sites that consistently provide top odds across sports like basketball, football, horse racing, and baseball. In other words, markets that matter most to US players, including arbitrage betting fans looking to find sure bets.
• Variety – Some say it’s the “spice of life” but we prefer to think of it as a marker of a good betting site. Variety can be found in sites that provide odds and lines for soccer, athletics, and obscure sports to several different bet types.
• Specialty – Our experts highly rate sites that stand out as specialists within the industry. This could mean it’s one of the best boxing betting sites or the #1 choice for wagering on horse racing markets in the US and afar.
• Creation and Innovation – Sites that create new ways to bet or innovative bonus schemes get rewarded. Whether it’s a twist on Same Game Parlays or money-back specials, we like to see sites push the envelope of what can be done.
• Player Focus – Sites that provide tools and support to assist players are always respected by our reviewers. From problem gambling tools and tips to deposit restrictions, we value sites that have you and your safety in mind.

These are just five additional parameters that contribute to our final ratings. Alongside our review scores, they can assist you in determining if a site is a good fit for your needs.

Typically, sites that excel when examined against these extra factors usually have high scores anyway. But these may be what separate the cream of the crop from the very good.

Awarding Our Final Ratings Out of 10

When we have considered all of the above, our reviewers award a score to the reviewed offshore betting site. As explained earlier, it’s a rating out of ten – to arrive at this figure, we work out the score as a percentage and divide it by ten.

The table above shows the breakdown of how betting sites are rated by our reviewers. We use this method to make things as comprehensive and accurate, yet easy to understand.

In the example above, a site has been awarded an exceptional rating of 9.5. Expressed as a percentage, we’re looking at 95% which puts it above the very best offshore bookies out there.

Why You Should Trust Us

Only you get to decide whether we are trustworthy or not. But by providing a 100% transparent and honest breakdown of how we rate offshore sportsbooks, our team of betting experts has hopefully put us on the right foot.

Reviewing and rating betting sites is ultimately a subjective exercise. Any of our top-ranked sites may qualify as the best out there, meaning it can often be as simple as a matter of preference. With that said, it is our mission to provide you with the information necessary to make your own choices.

Our researchers and reviewers believe the best way of arranging online betting site rankings is to compare them against various parameters. We take the most crucial and desirable elements of these sites and award them scores to separate the best from the rest. Our methodology is always visible and apparent in what we do.

Consider trusting us and the carefully selected partners and sites we recommend. We are never biased to any offshore bookie. What’s more, our rankings are updated and refreshed whenever new data or information makes it necessary. Whatever happens, you’re always kept in the loop.

Our Editorial Policy

We uphold a strict and precise editorial policy based on openness and trust. The content on Top Offshore Sportsbooks (TOS) is briefed, written, and edited by betting experts.

Above all, we ensure that factual information is always distinguishable from any opinions expressed by the team. We provide links and sources where necessary while striving to keep our content fresh with regular updates and audits.

Although errors may happen from time to time, it is our duty to stand by our editorial policy. If you have noticed anything that may not be in line with our values, feel free to contact us with any feedback or suggestions.

Responsible Gambling

Every member of our team promotes safe and responsible gambling practices. It is a matter of principle to remind you that betting can be addictive and that there are ways to limit your exposure to problem gambling patterns.

Many of our recommended offshore sportsbooks have tools and helpful literature you can use to stay safe. There are also bodies and organizations dedicated to helping anyone with a gambling addiction.