Although people wager on sports since time immemorial, betting online is, obviously, a fairly recent phenomenon dating back to 1996. This year is officially considered the birthday of the online betting and credited to the company called Intertops. Intertops accepted the first wager from a customer in the history of sports betting.
This happened during the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Hereford and Hereford United who were playing FA Cup replay. Since then, the new internet-powered era in sports betting has begun.
Now there are thousands of online wagering sites out there on the internet, inviting customers to make bets in their local currencies. According to the latest statistics, around 70 billion is spent annually on sports betting worldwide. European sport lovers invest more money into sports wagering than citizens of other continents, though in Asia, there are more people who bet on sports. They simply place less money individually than Europeans do.
In the US, where sports betting is illegal in most of the states except of Nevada, citizens spent more than 3.2 billion on sports wagering. A variety of sports on which people can place money is equally impressive. Sport fans can try to predict the outcome of a football game or follow the NBA betting odds; or they can attempt to foresee the development of a hockey match or make an intelligent guess about a winner in a tennis championship. Cricket, boxing, golf, and Formula 1 are other popular sports betting options.
If you are intrigued by the popularity of sports betting and want to try your hand in it but do not know where to begin, we can give you several pieces of advice, which will help you make up your mind. Those of the readers who are novices in betting are probably wondering to whom to turn to make a bet. You can use bookmaking shops and telephone betting services, of course.
Before the advent of the internet, these were precisely the places where sport lovers went to wager. But needless to say, using online betting is more convenient, just as shopping online is more convenient than looking for items in your local mall. You can bet without ever leaving your house. The internet comes in handy in particular, when you want to place in-game or in-play wagers. Making a bet during a game, which is what these two concepts mean, is clearly easier at home while you are watching a game and paying attention to the nuances of its unfolding. Most people prefer wagering online, signing up on one of the existing websites.
There are hundreds of such websites. Most of the large bookmakers and sportsbooks operate bookmaking websites, saying nothing of numerous new companies that have lately entered the marketplace. Among the most popular online bookmakers in the US are Betway Sports, Spin Palace, and 888sports. Canadians prefer the services of Bet365, Bodog Sportsbook, SportsInteraction, and Bookmaker Sportsbook.
Sport lovers in the United Kingdom entrust their pounds to Betfred, FansBet, and Mension Bet, though there are hundreds of other websites here, considering that British people are notorious for their sports betting addiction. Depending on your location, you can choose one of the aforementioned websites or check what else is available in your country. The only caveat of which you should be mindful is that there are still scam bookmakers on the internet that must be avoided.
Once you have decided what website to choose, you need to open an account. As with any other account, signing up for a betting website is easy. You just need to go to your chosen website’s homepage and find a “sign up” or “join now” button. Having clicked on this button, you will be taken to a sign-up page, where you will need to fill in several personal details. These details are your name, surname, date of birth, home address, telephone number, and email address. The next step is to create a username and a password, though some of the website will generate your username and password automatically.
After you have opened your account but before you start wagering, you need to deposit money in your account. Like signing up, depositing funds is not complicated. Although different booking websites use different wording, you should look for a button or link saying “deposit funds,” “my account,” or “cashier.” A variety of the payment methods offered by bookies is large.
You can deposit money by using your credit or debit card; or you can transfer money through Western Union or MoneyGram, or similar services; you can also use E-wallets such as PayPal or Skrill; bank Wire and check are other convenient funding methods. Select the option you want to use and fill in required details. When you have deposited your money, you can immediately start using them. Some of the sports betting websites offer a sign-up bonus. It is worth checking if the website you are using does this, because every gift, however small, is welcome.
After funding your account, you can place a wager. The majority of the sports betting website have a list of sports on which you can bet. By clicking on your favorite sports, you will open a list of available markets, displayed together with their odds. Your selection will be added to the betting slip. Then, you need to choose and confirm the amount you want to bet, which will be deducted from your account automatically. If you guess correctly, your winnings will be paid into your account right away. As must be clear by now, starting betting is pretty straightforward. Winning is, however, more difficult and depends on your understanding of betting strategies and, as is always the case in sports, luck.
