Sports betting is becoming more popular
Are you a sports fan and regularly watch matches or tournaments? Sports on TV has always been very popular. But sports betting has only taken off in recent years. For most, it’s about an extra thrill. Excitement increases when you know you will win money should your team win.
A football match, tennis match or Formula 1 race are examples of big sporting events. In many tournaments, you can bet on a result and, with a bit of luck, win money. A large number of sporting events take place every day all over the world. With a sports bet on the result, you can be part of it. If the bet and the result match, you profit and win. However, if you are wrong, then your bet is lost.
Explanation of sports betting
When you bet on a sport, you are betting money on a certain sporting result. You bet with fixed odds from a bookmaker. Variable odds are rare. If the result you bet on occurs, you win money. There are countless betting options on online platforms. The most diverse sports, tournaments and competitions. In addition, there are various combinations of bets and, finally, special bets. You should always trust a reputable provider. We have taken a closer look at the best betting providers and evaluated them. As always, our tests are independent and based on fixed criteria. This means that the different providers are comparable despite their special features. If you are unsure where to bet, our overview will help you.
Profit according to odds
Due to the variety of sports in national and international events, there are exciting betting opportunities every day. Your potential winnings are always different. This depends on both your stake and the respective betting odds. In general, the most probable result has the lowest odds. On the other hand, the least likely outcome has the highest betting odds. To calculate your payout amount, the odds are taken as a factor. If you guess correctly, the bet is multiplied by this. If you then subtract your stake, you know your net profit.
You need luck to win. No one can predict the outcome with certainty. Too many factors play a role. For this reason, you should set yourself a limit, as with any game of chance. With every bet, there is always the possibility that you will lose your stake. To gain your first experience, you should start with small amounts. You need to get a feel for betting. Therefore, you should avoid too much risk at the beginning.
Online betting providers are becoming more and more popular
In the past, you could only bet locally and the offers were very limited. Today’s betting providers are online and well connected. They work internationally and can therefore offer international games. So you don’t have to wait for a tournament in your country. Every day there are sporting events somewhere and now you can bet on them. Online betting providers have replaced the classic betting shops. Although there are often still outlets in larger cities, they are becoming fewer and fewer. Whereas you used to pay and place your bets on the spot, today you do everything digitally.
The easy way to place a bet is convincing. You are much more flexible because you can bet on your smartphone. You simply open the page via the mobile browser and log in. This means you are not tied to a specific location and can bet from anywhere at any time. You can compare different providers and choose your favourite. Even individual bets can differ in the odds. With a comparison, you can always choose the best betting odds.
Selection of sports
In the past, the most popular sport for betting was horse racing. It was socially acceptable to participate in betting. This has not changed to this day, even if it is no longer a social highlight. Nowadays, the choice is many times greater. You can bet on almost any sport there is. Among the most popular sports for betting worldwide are football and martial arts. There are many options every day.
On the one hand, there are many different types of martial arts, which creates many opportunities. On the other hand, there are a lot of league games, international matches or big tournaments like the World Cup. Other countries, other bets – this could be a motto for foreign sports and betting options. Each country has its personal favourite sport. The national sport is most frequently requested for betting in the countries.
Different betting options
In sports betting, you can bet on a team to win. Alternatively, you can bet on a draw or a win by the opposing team. These are the simplest betting options. There are, of course, others. You must bear in mind that the lower the probability of being right, the higher the risk of a bet. A combination bet, for example, promises you a much better profit. But to win, all your bets have to be right. If you are wrong on only one, your bet is also lost. A system bet sounds more promising. Here you choose several combinations, but not all of them have to be right. Your stake is a lot higher, but so is the probability of winning something.
So-called special bets are very unique. You can bet on very explicit things. Something like the half-time score in football or when a fighter will be knocked out. You can already imagine that this is real gambling. Because you can only guess what will really happen. These bets can be cancelled. For example, if you have bet on an athlete and he or she drops out due to illness. Before you place such a bet, find out exactly what the conditions are. Some bookmakers do not cancel special bets. If they do not take place because of a cancellation, they are declared lost.
With any form of betting, always be aware that you can lose your money. This is gambling. Do not expect to win. If you lose, you must accept it as the cost of your fun and excitement in the game. Set yourself a limit and stick to it. If you bet responsibly, it will be fun.
Calculating bookmaker odds
You always see betting odds. You have probably heard that they are calculated using probabilities. But not every odds adds up to a probability of 100%. Then the question remains why the probability exceeds 100%. Because even in gambling this is very unusual and actually not feasible.
For that you have to understand how bookmakers calculate. Our example shows an odds calculation. In the end, it comes to 100% probability for one result:
Home team – Visiting team
1 (1.99) 0 (2.86) 2 (6.67)
50% 35% 15%
But you will never find such a ratio. After all, the betting provider wants to earn money and has to cover his costs. This is the reason why the calculation often results in more than 100%. A profit margin is added to every bet. Let’s assume a betting provider assumes an even distribution of 15% profit margin on each bet. For this, the odds * 85% are calculated. This results in new odds, which look as follows:
Home team – Visiting team
1 (1.69) 0 (2.43) 2 (5.67)
You never really know whether the betting provider distributes the margin evenly or unevenly. Because the example given here is only an ideal calculation. Often it is also distributed unevenly. This means that the betting provider with the most likely bet may earn the most. Since fewer bet on the least likely option, he calculates with less margin. If the bet is paid out, the bettor accepts the loss. So you should always keep an eye on the odds of different providers and compare them. This way you will find the fairest odds for you. In addition, after a while you will know where you can best achieve your goals.
Live betting on the internet
A normal bet must be placed before the start of a sporting event. With live betting, this is possible in real time in the middle of the game or match. Bets are adjusted according to the match and the odds are changed in real time. Live betting is much more interesting for players. You can react by yourself and feel that you can better assess your chances. Especially if you follow a match yourself and think you can estimate the development.
This type of bet is only offered by a few providers. Moreover, they are often only available for certain sports or events. After all, they involve a lot of effort for the respective provider. Odds are recalculated in real time. In addition, the provider has to adjust the betting opportunities according to the events during the current match. The betting offer cannot be adjusted in advance. All this has to be done promptly and changed again. A bookmaker can calculate and change the simple bets live according to the score. However, the victory of a team offers little incentive in live betting.
Spotter for live betting
To calculate odds live, the providers need so-called spotters. These are usually external observers who are commissioned by the betting providers. They observe a live broadcast on TV or directly on site. The results and events are then passed on to the betting providers in real time. Depending on what is being bet on, the spotter transmits his observations live to the system. This means that the live bets are always adjusted and modified immediately. Such a spotter and the technology linked to the system incur high costs. For this reason, often only large sports betting providers can afford it. Live betting is not always offered for this reason. They are only offered during major sporting events. This is because the providers expect a great deal of interest. This, in turn, pays for the costs and ensures more turnover.
You can find some of the best sports betting providers on our overview page. Let the wide range of offers convince you. Try out for yourself how well you can predict an outcome. Often you can even benefit from a bonus when you place your first bet. In this case, it pays off twice.
