The Mac operating system is utilized by technological devices created by Apple. Ever since Steve Jobs returned to the company in 2001, the 41-year-old computer company has thrived, becoming one of the most recognizable and cherished brands in the world.
However, despite the popularity, for years online sports betting sites have been more compatible with PCs than Macs.
In 2019, this is no longer the case. In fact, when it comes to Mac users, there are numerous options with which to enjoy online sports betting, both on mobile devices and computers.
It’s a good thing the online gambling industry has adapted to service this ever-growing market; after all, Apple is one of the largest technology companies in the entire world.
When searching for an online sportsbook to use on a Mac device, most of the essential criteria is consistent across all operating systems and platforms. Things like reliability, safety, and quality customer service are always paramount to creating the ideal customer experience.
But with an ever-expanding list of available options, choosing the online betting site that’s right for you can be a challenge.
This guide was created as a way to assist you in finding the best online betting site to use from your Mac device. The websites above are compatible with your devices.
They offer the best graphics and smooth performance, utilizing Apple’s impressive processing speeds and stability. Additionally, we’ll leave you with some information regarding how we chose the betting sites on our list, and some helpful tips for the novice gambler.
Online Sports Betting Using a Mac Computer
Traditionally, the majority of the traffic online betting sites have received has come from Windows PC or mobile users. In response, the websites were built for maximum compatibility with these operating systems, even offering downloadable desktop clients to improve functionality and speed further.
It only makes sense that online gambling operations would want to cater to the largest group of people possible.
However, the downloadable desktop software really only applies to casino games. When it comes to betting on sports online, in 2019, nearly every device should be able to access and utilize almost all betting websites. Whether you are using Internet Explorer or Safari, the experience will be relatively the same.
Where the differences between PC and MacOS will be most pronounced is when participating in live betting. The increased stability and powerful graphics engines make streaming events more accessible than ever, which improves the overall experience for the gambler.
Furthermore, Mac users are less vulnerable to unwanted viruses and malware that may be targeting online players.
Where the Mac OS Is Found
Macintosh, or Mac, computers are the line of computers and laptops sold by Apple. These devices are full-sized portable or desktop computers and are quite a bit more expensive than their PC counterparts. Here are some of the models that you may encounter.
Portables:
- MacBook Air
- MacBook
- MacBook Pro
Desktops:
Mac users may also access online sports betting through their mobile devices. Sportsbooks may be reached one of two ways. The most comprehensive method is to reach the site through the device’s web browser, Safari. However, some online betting sites have developed their own dedicated apps.
These applications are designed specifically to work on the Mac and are the most stable, most comfortable-to-access methods of online gambling available. There are two primary mobile devices that Mac users use for online betting.
- iPad – The iPad is a type of tablet computer made by Apple. These gadgets were released in 2010, and have become a trendy must-own device. With their larger touch screen, wide range of functions, and full Wi-Fi, it’s no wonder why Apple has sold 250 million of these units. The iPad would be ideal for streaming a game during live betting.
- iPhone – The iPhone has been in existence since 2007 and was an absolute game-changer in the world of smartphones. These devices are considerably smaller than tablets but share many of the same functionalities. One advantage the iPhone has over the regular iPad is the ability to connect to cellular networks and use data on Wi-Fi or off. This frees the sports gambler up to place bets from anywhere they have their phone.
Advantages of Using a Mac
High-Quality Graphics
Mac devices are renowned for their high-definition graphics and smooth video quality.
These qualities are particularly useful when enjoying online casino games, but they’re relevant to online sports betting as well.
The Mac’s superior graphics quality will be most enjoyed while live betting when you’ll be streaming the game.
Less Concern Regarding Malware
A primary concern that most online gambling novices face is safety. Online gambling is an enormous industry worth billions of dollars annually. These kinds of profits attract both honest business people and scammers.
Hackers are constantly releasing malware and viruses onto the internet in the hopes of infecting your computer and possibly stealing your information.
Apple products, and thus Macs, have a reputation for being less vulnerable to such antagonistic software. This means there’s one less worry on your mind, giving you more time to think about what’s really important — winning your bets!
Stability
The Mac operating system is also known for its increased stability and stronger processing power. This results in fewer errors. Occasionally, PC or Android devices will freeze or crash, resulting in frustrations for the users.
There are times that they will run into errors when attempting to submit a pick, which can lead to your bet not being placed, or accidentally being ordered multiple times.
Important Attributes of the Best Betting Sites for Mac Users
The primary concern when finding an online betting site is safety. You never want to give money or financial information out on the internet without being absolutely certain that you’re dealing with a trustworthy, legitimate company.
For this reason, our experts greatly prioritize website safety when compiling our recommendations.
One aspect of identifying legitimate gambling sites involves researching a company’s history and reputation. We study the reviews left by former clientele of the various gaming sites and look for patterns and trends in their comments.
Additionally, we seek to avoid recommending online sportsbooks that have found themselves blacklisted.
The goal of our website is to guarantee our readers have the most positive experience possible when betting online. In order to achieve this, we must ensure that whichever website they use, they’ll be treated to honest, professional gaming practices.
There’s nothing our experts take more seriously than vetting online betting sites for safety and trustworthiness.
The online sportsbooks that we recommend also must maintain a quality, easy-to-use website. This means that they’ll be completely compatible with Mac devices without losing functionality.
We look for betting sites that are professionally designed, well-organized, and straightforward to navigate.
It should never be anxiety-inducing when you are searching for a specific page or wager type. The menus and links should all be functional and logical. This may seem insignificant, but there are times in sports betting when every minute counts.
Imagine a game is about to start in five minutes, and you’ve just received a tip that you’re confident in and want to place a bet.
Can you imagine how upset you’d be if the game started before you were able to lay your wager, solely because you couldn’t locate the bet that you were hoping to place?! How much worse would you feel once the contest played out exactly as expected?
It’s not worth risking such a scenario, which is why online betting sites must be easy to use.
Good Bonuses and Loyalty Programs
It’s also worth your time to examine the various bonuses and loyalty programs being offered before signing up with a site. Almost all online betting sites extend some form of welcoming bonus.
These may be given in the form of matched cash when you make your first deposit, or free-bet credits upon signing up for an account.
The entry-level bonuses can be valuable in that they allow you to practice with the website or try new wagers that you’d otherwise not risk your money on. The downside is that beginners’ bonuses always come with significant strings attached.
Always read the terms before accepting a bonus. If they have high rollovers, it can be extremely difficult to ever cash out.
The more enticing rewards come from loyalty programs. Each gambling site has a unique system of incentivizing loyalty. Some have tier-based systems; others give points that can be exchanged for various prizes.
All loyalty rewards programs are predicated on how much money you bet on average, and how often. A typical award for average bettors is cashback on losses or merchandise from the company store.
Sites get more creative for their high rollers, offering anything from vacations to vehicles — anything to keep their most significant clientele happy and gambling.
No matter what operating system you use, rapid withdrawal speeds are always a priority. Many websites that land on industry blacklists get there because of their slow payouts.
Some gambling sites are utterly undermanned or disorganized and take unacceptable amounts of time to provide their account holders with their money. Others purposely delay processing the transactions, in hopes that you will continue gambling with that money rather than waiting to receive it.
Similar to purposely delaying withdrawals, unethical gambling sites will also set unreasonably low withdrawal limits. These make moving the money out of your account tedious and difficult. These are also used to create impatience in an effort to entice you to gamble away your winnings.
It’s important to note that different banking methods require different processing times. Make sure to choose a betting site with banking options that work for you. Here are some of the average processing timelines for frequently encountered transaction types.
- e-Wallets (PayPal and similar services) – Sometimes instant, but can take up to 3-4 days, depending on the website
- Credit/Debit Card – 2-5 days
- Bitcoin – Often instant; can be 1-2 days
- eCheck – 1-3 days
- Paper Check – 2-3 weeks or more
Another important criteria for online betting sites is offering a wide range of bets. Successful sports betting is all about identifying vulnerabilities in the odds set by the bookmakers. The more specifically you can focus your wagers, the more control you have to pinpoint these valuable odds.
Beyond giving you more opportunities to exploit weak lines, having a wide variety of options also helps to avoid boredom. There may come a time when you’re tired of merely placing the same old moneyline or totals bets.
Having the ability to jump into some live betting or perhaps some creative proposition bets could potentially liven things up for you.
Whatever type of sports gambling you prefer, it never hurts to have multiple options. And for that reason, we strongly factor variety into our recommendations.
Whether you are accessing the sportsbook from a Mac, a PC, or in person, at the end of the day sports betting is all about the odds. The only way to win long term is to identify and exclusively bet on lines that provide positive value.
That’s why the sites we recommend all offer the most competitive odds on the internet.
Of all the advantages online sports betting has over the land-based version, this is the most significant. Due to the operating expenses and overhead of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, these traditional bookies have to increase the bookmaker’s advantage to make a profit.
Online bookmakers, on the other hand, have much fewer expenses, and thus, can provide better odds.
It’s extremely common for a bet to be decided by a mere half-point. Likewise, even the smallest improved payout due to better lines can add up and make the difference between being up or down financially over the long haul.
So, if you want to win more often and make incrementally more profits per win, be mindful of only betting the best lines. We certainly do our part by keeping this in mind with our recommendations.
Betting Tips for Mac Users
You’ve got your fancy Apple device, so you’re probably pretty smart, right? Assuming that’s true, it’s imperative that you approach sports betting from the proper perspective. It can be easy to fall into the trap of solely trying to pick winners without much consideration regarding the odds.
This strategy is doomed to failure. Instead, you should be trying to identify valuable odds and betting on them accordingly.
When the sportsbook sets the odds on a contest, those odds carry with them an implied probability of the outcome happening. But when the implied probability is actually lower than the real likelihood of a result, that’s a valuable line.
For example, when betting on a coin toss, each side of the coin has a 50% chance of landing face up. So it would be expected that the bookmaker would offer even odds on both heads and tails. But what if they offered to pay out three-to-one for heads, but you only get $50 for every 100 dollars bet if the coin landed on tails?
You’d have to bet heads, right? Of course, because at three-to-one odds, you’d only need to win one third of the time to break even. Knowing that heads will come up roughly 50% of the time, this bet holds positive value and should pay out well over time.
Exercise Disciplined Bankroll Management
Before diving into online sports betting, make sure to determine the size of your bankroll and create a staking plan. Your bankroll should be an amount of money that you can afford to lose without it negatively impacting your life in any way.
Deciding on the amount ahead of time will help you avoid losing track of how much you’ve gambled and stop you from continually depositing more money until you’ve gotten yourself in trouble.
Once you know the size of your bankroll and how long it needs to last, you can create a staking plan. Again, before ever placing a bet, plan out how often you will be laying bets.
Once you know the frequency, evenly divide your bankroll so that you may bet for the desired length of time without having to add to your bankroll.
We can’t be emphatic enough when it comes to this point. Being disciplined with your money is of the utmost importance for those wishing to partake in gambling.
Without proper organization and planning, it’s easy to lose track of your spending or lose control, which can have devastating consequences. If you enjoy that sweet Mac device, don’t skip this step!
Earlier we explained the importance of finding competitive odds. While all of the sites that we recommend will offer competitive, fair odds, it’s still worth your time to shop around for the most significant advantage you can buy.
In fact, it’s worth opening accounts with more than one betting site so that you can get the best price on any bet that you make.
It’s shocking how regularly the sportsbooks are remarkably accurate with the lines that they set. More often than not, bets are decided on the final few moments of the game. The slightest difference in the point spread or totals bet is frequently the deciding factor between winning and losing.
So, if you can grab an extra half-point at one sportsbook that isn’t available at the other, take the time to get that half-point.
Don’t just place your bets and forget about them once they’re over. Anytime you make a wager, take the time to jot down what bet you made, the odds, what advice you received, what thought process impacted your decision, and whether you won or lost.
This just helps you identify patterns and tendencies over time that you can use to improve your betting.
You may find that all of the advice that you receive from a particular pundit leads you astray. Or maybe you’ll see that when you prioritize home field advantage, you have more success than usual.
There’s no telling what valuable information you’ll glean from taking good notes. The more detailed your records, the more useful they’ll be over time.
Avoiding the temptation to chase losses is actually an aspect of bankroll management, but it’s crucial enough to require its own tip.
Just as there will be times of immense luck when you’re winning like crazy, you will also experience losing streaks. When these losing streaks occur, it’s vital that you do not compound the problem by chasing your losses.
Chasing losses is when you begin betting more frequently or in greater amounts in an effort to recoup the portion of your bankroll lost during a cold spell.
You may feel like you’re due for a win, and since you can’t possibly keep losing, you might as well increase the amount staked to get back on track faster. This is a fatal mistake and leads to gamblers getting themselves into financial nightmares more often than it helps.
Stick to your predetermined staking plan, independent of recent results. If your methods are sound, the math will eventually work itself out. But if you try to force a change in fortune, more often than not you will dig the hole deeper.
The Wrap-Up
These days Mac users have the same sports betting opportunities as their Windows-using counterparts. While the industry was initially focused on capturing the more plentiful PC market, these days there are options for everyone.
There are still some compatibility issues with desktop online casino software, but when it comes to betting on sports, the browser-based sportsbooks cater to devices of all types.
If anything, Mac users enjoy several advantages. The expensive gadgets come with exceptional high-definition graphics, impressive surround sound, and stable, powerful processing abilities.
For those of you getting their first taste of online gambling, Mac’s increased security and resilience to malware and viruses are an added benefit.
When it comes to actually betting on sports and choosing the right online sportsbook to place your wagers with, the basic principles stay the same. Rather than blindly signing up with sites, allow our experts to point you in the direction of the safest, most reliable, and high-quality bookmakers.
Once you’re satisfied with a website, stay mindful of finding value and stay disciplined with your bankroll.
Online sports betting is an enjoyable hobby that can add quite a bit of fun and excitement to your sports fandom. So pick up that Mac device that you love so much, and start browsing our trusted recommendations!
Start winning your bets now, and you’ll have plenty of profits to spend when it’s time to camp outside of the Apple store when the next device is released!
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