Why start with Sports betting online?

Let’s establish the important thing first: Sports Betting can be fun, exciting and profitable!

With the online betting boom making it so easy to place a bet, and television covering practically all the major sport events, Sports Betting has grown enormously in popularity in recent years.

Why choose online betting instead of going to the betting shop (if you have one)?

The online bookmakers never close; they are open 24/7.

You can bet from wherever you are, as long as you can get online.

It is safe and secure; you make all transactions from your home.

There is so much information on the Internet that makes it easier for you to gain information about your bet.

You make your bet in a few seconds, no more standing in a long line.

You can get Bonuses, Free Bets and shop around for the best odds, without leaving home.

You can bet on almost every sport these days, and if you like football you can watch almost every major game on TV, and many more sports of course!

You can bet on first goalscorer, if a player will receive a red card, the number of corners, in fact, the betting options are endless...

Knowledge is profitable...

Whether you are into Sports Betting to add some excitement to the televised game with your favorite team playing or if you are in the business to make some money, we have put together some simple guidelines. If you are a beginner we are sure you will find our Betting School very useful.

Remember, knowledge is always profitable, whatever business you are in, and this is very true when it comes to Sports Betting...

How to chose Online Bookmaker

You may think you know a lot about sport so why not pit your wits up against a bookmaker. The thing is, there are so many different bookmaker options available online, it can be hard to find the right one for you.
Chose a reliable bookmaker
As you will be handing over a lot of your hard earned cash to a bookmaker, it is important to have a degree of trust in them. This means the bookmaker should be financially solid and be able to be relied upon if anything goes wrong. A good bookmaker will treat their customers well and make it easy to make withdrawals and contact the site if there are any problems.
The bookmakers listed below all have a very good reputation, and you will likely have heard of them as they are all famous names in the business.
You can read more about the different bookmakers in our sports book- reviews, where we review 15 of the biggest bookmakers.
Minimum deposits, and fees
You should always check what the minimum deposit is, what the minimum bet is and what the maximum bet is. Not everyone is affected by the minimum and maximum levels as these are at very different ends of the spectrum but it is important to realize the constraints that are placed on your betting. You may also want to know what the maximum amount that can be won on a single bet is and also if the firm charge you a fee for depositing or withdrawing money.
What do I like to bet on?
You should bet on the sports you enjoy or feel comfortable with. This means you should examine the sports or betting options a bookmaker offers and decide if it is right for you. This may involve sports like horse racing or tennis, it may involve bets for small football leagues like the Scandinavian leagues or it may even involve betting on reality TV shows like Big Brother. Whatever you like to bet on, make sure your bookmaker offers it.
Compare the odds
If you were buying a pair of trainers, you would probably check the price in a few different shops or online to get the best deal, so do the same when looking for betting odds to get the best price. If you are going to bet on Premier Leagues, find the bookmaker who offers the best price for Premier League games.
A great way to do this is to use our odds comparison checker to compare the odds offered by different bookmakers.
Bonus offers and Free Bets
As there are so many different bookmaking firms operating, and all looking to win the same customers, there are a number of bonus offers and deals to entice you to sign with a particular site. What are bonus and free bets?
To encourage people to register and start betting a bookmaker will offer something called a Free Bet.
A Free Bet is an amount of money that the bookmaker let you bet for free, which means if the bet loses, it costs you nothing. If the bet wins you will receive only the profit from the bet, not profit and the initial stake. For example: If you get a free bet for £10 and the odds are 2.00, you get a total return of £20. But you don’t get the £10 free bet back to use again; you just get to keep the profit of £10.
Make sure you check the conditions for your Free Bet carefully before you register and deposit as they can differ from firm to firm.
The type of Free Bets the companies offer vary greatly, this is why it is really important to check the terms and conditions.
Another way to get a good start when you register an open a new account is to use the bookmakers Bonus Offers. They often match your first deposit, sometimes up to100%, up to a certain amount, which sometimes can be a very large sum. However, there are always different conditions to be fulfilled before you can claim you bonus, so read the conditions carefully. If the conditions sound agreeable then you should go ahead and bet with the free bet offer.

How to get started

Create an account
Now you have chosen a bookmaker that you like and are satisfied with your free bonus offer, it is time to get started! Just click on the link to the bookmaker of your choice below and you will be taken to exactly the right page.
When you click on the link, you come to a page where there usually is a button called, “join now” or “register now” or sometimes “bet now”. You click this button and come to a form where you fill in your name, address and some other details.
You also chose your user name and create a password. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete the form and sometimes you will be sent an e-mail that wants you to confirm that you really have signed up. As this is for your own security and benefit, this is nothing to be concerned about.
Do not forget to check the Terms and Conditions carefully before you sign up as these are very important and may make the difference between a good site and a bad site.
Make your first deposit
When you have created an account which will take you a couple of minutes, the next step is to make your first deposit. To claim your Bonus or Free Bet you will usually have to make a deposit, so it is worthwhile doing so.
There are a lot of payment methods such as: Credit/debit cards, bank transfer, electronic wallets like Neteller and many more. Chose the one you prefer, but make sure you check if there are any fees for this method. Some sites charge for certain deposit methods so be aware of this potential charge.
My Account
You can always check all your transactions, like your account balance, under “My Account”. This is where you can also see your Betting History. Remember that you can never lose more money than you have deposited.
Withdrawals
Usually you have to use your deposit method when you make a withdrawal but of course you can contact the customer support and change that if this would suit you better.
You can make a withdrawal, anytime you want, and the payout usually takes a couple of days to come through. It can differ depending on the withdrawal method and your location but again, the terms and conditions should include information about the time usually taken for withdrawing money.
When you have created an account and made your first deposit, you are ready to place your first bet and make some money!
How to place a bet
Before you place your first bet, you should of course have already done your homework and picked a winner that just can’t lose! : )
Take some time to become familiar with the site, surf around the various pages and get to know all the functions.
In theory, it will be very easy to place the bet. You usually find a list of all sports available and you should click on the sport you like. Then you will find the different leagues, if you like football you will have a lot of different leagues to chose from.
When you find your league, you look for the game you wish to bet on. Next, you should click on the team you want to bet on and sometimes you click on the odds you like. The procedures vary a little between different bookmakers, but they should be easy enough to understand.
Most bookmakers also have a useful Help Section for beginners. And if there are any problems of any kind, the Customer Service is always very helpful and well worth contacting.
Good luck! But we all know that luck has nothing to do with it...

The role of the Bookmaker

Balance the book
The bookmakers take bets on different outcomes in different games or events and pays money to the people who bet on the correct outcome.
They try to balance their book, so what does that mean? They try to get bets on all outcomes, in a tennis match for example; they want to get bets on both players.
If the match was rated as exactly even, the correct odds would be 2.0 (decimal). If the bookmaker then took equally large bets on each player, there would be no profit!
The margins
That’s why bookmakers have a margin of between 2-20 %, depending on the sport and the size of the league and some other parameters. So in the example with the tennis match they may offer 1.9 as odds on each tennis player.
If they then take equally large bets on each player, which they want, this is called balancing the book and they make a profit whatever the outcome is!
The margin is how the bookmaker makes his living. But remember, sometimes the bookmakers can suffer significant losses in an event. If we take the example with the tennis match again, it could be that everybody bets on only one of the tennis players. The bookmakers gets no balance in his book, and if that player wins, the bookmaker has to pay all the successful customers whilst taking no money from losing customers, as there are none.
Of course, if the heavily backed player loses, the bookmaker would be delighted and would have made a huge profit but this is a risk. The bookmakers always try to get balance in the book, as they look to minimize their risk as much as possible.
Sometimes the odds change
When most of the bets in an event is on one specific outcome, like in our tennis match, most of the bets will be placed on one person. This will see the bookmakers change the odds. If the odds started on 2 for the tennis player and they get a lot of bets, the bookmaker will change the odds to 1.8. Then, of course, they will change the other players odds as well, maybe to 2.2 to maintain balance and to encourage some bets on the other player as well.
So when the bookmakers change the odds, it is mostly caused by many people betting on the same outcome. It could of course be caused by a number of things like some important injury information, suspensions or pitch conditions. The bookmakers always try to be updated and that should be you job as well!
Bookmakers are not Santa Claus...
It is important to remember that the bookmaker is running a business and does not offer odds to be nice and popular. A bookmaker has a big staff of compilers working in an attempt to set the odds at a good level and they analyze all the available information. A great number of these compilers are very good at their job and this means the odds set by the bookmakers are becoming more accurate, well as accurate, as sporting odds can be.
So if you think Stoke City at home against Hull at odds 2.2 is a safe winner and a gift from the bookmaker, think it over one more time, what do you know that the bookmaker doesn't know? Do you have some new information, have you seen the teams play and think the odds are just too high? Perhaps, you are looking at some statistics that back up your thinking or maybe you just have a really good feeling about the game?
None of the reasons to make a bet are wrong, as long as you think about that the bookmaker also has analyzed the game and doesn't set the odds to be popular. If the bookmaker offer 2.2 then they think the correct odds are around 2.4 because he has his margin,which you also need to remember.
The question is, can you beat the bookmaker?
We can assure you that the bookmakers can be beaten but it is not easy!

What are odds, and how does it work

What are odds?
Odds reflect the probability of an outcome in an event. If the probability of an outcome is 50%, the bookmaker interprets that to odds. A classic example is the coin toss, a thing everybody is familiar with. The probability for each outcome, heads or tails, is exactly 50%. If you translate that to odds, the odds will be 2.0 (decimal) or 1/1 (fractional) for both heads and tail.
The bookmaker calculates the probability for each outcome in for example a football match and then translates it into odds. If they calculated the probability for every outcome, home win, away win or draw, to be 33.33%, then the correct odds would be 3.0 (decimal) on every outcome. You divide 100 with the probability in % to get the odds, which in this case would be 100 / 33.33 = 3.0
However, you need to remember that the bookmakers always have their margins so they will probably offer around 2.8 or something like that on each outcome.
Different odd formats
There are a few different odds formats. The most common format in the UK is called Fractional. The commonly format used in Europe is called Decimal. The Decimal format is growing in popularity and will probably be the most popular format also in the UK soon, which has a lot to do with the rise in popularity of online gambling. There are other formats available, with the American and Asian formats being other examples.
Decimal odds
Decimal odds are a number which you multiply with your stake to give you your total return (winnings plus stake back).
For example: You want to bet £10 on an event which has the decimal odds of 2.3. If you win, you multiply the stake with the odds: 10 x 2.3 = 23. Your total winning is £23.
Your net profit is the total winning minus the stake, 23 -10 = £13. It is very simple once you get used to it and if you like to bet on accumulators, we think the decimal format is a great format to use.
Fractional odds
Fractional odds show you how much you win on each staked unit. For example if the Fractional odds are 3/1, then your net win is 3 times your bet. If you bet £10 you get a total winning of £40, and a net profit of £30.
If you bet £10 on a Fractional odd of 6/4 then how does this work out? Simply divide the first number by the second to get your answer.
(6/4 = 1.5), then multiply it with your stake ( 10 x 1.5 = 15) and your net profit is £15. Your total winning is: 15 + your stake 10 = £25.
Chose your own Odds format
Do you prefer one format of odds over another or perhaps struggle with all of the betting odds? Don’t worry, you will learn to understand them in no time at all and as you practice, it will become easier. And the best thing is that almost all bookmakers let you chose the Odds format you like best!

How to pick a winner?

This is mainly about football but you can apply the thinking to other sports that are available to bet on.
Bet with head or heart?
First you have to determine why you are betting on sports. Is it just to add some excitement to the televised game or to bet a small amount on your favorite team? That is fun, exciting and as long as you don’t bet more than you can afford to lose, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
However, if you are into sports betting to make some money, you need to put a greater amount of thought into your choices. Here are some useful tips, but remember that you should question everything you read. Does this sound reasonable, and it is something that could work in reality? There is a great deal of bad advice out there in the sports betting world...
Value Betting; understand this and you will be a winner
The big secret in sports betting is betting for value. If you flip a coin it is easy to spot the value. The chance for each outcome is exactly 50%. A 50% chance is equal to odds of 2.0 (decimal). We know that the correct odds for each outcome on a coin flip are 2.0. So if someone offers us the odds 2.20 for one outcome, we can be 100% sure that we have a bet with value, a value bet.
Unfortunately it is never that simple in sports betting, because you can never know the chance for an outcome, you can only estimate. And that is what it all comes down to in the end, who has made the best estimation, you or the bookmaker?
If the bookie has estimated that the chance for Arsenal to beat Man United is 33.3%, he converts the chance into decimal odds like this. 100 /33.3 = 3, meaning the odds is 3.0. But he wants some margin so he will probably offer something like 2.8.
If you make the same estimation of the chance for Arsenal to win, 33.3 %, same as odds 3.0, and place a bet at the odds offered by the bookmaker, 2.8 you have no value in that bet. EV = expected value, and here you place a bet with negative EV. You can of course win this time, but in the long run you will lose if your bets have negative EV.
But if you estimate that the chance for Arsenal to win is 40%, meaning you think the correct odds is, 100/40 = 2.5, then you have a positive EV. If you place a bet at the odds 2.8 offered by the bookmaker in this example and you think the correct odds is 2.5 you have made a value bet, and that is what you are looking for.
So, to be a winner in sports betting you have to make better estimations than the bookmakers. It is not easy, but remember that the bookie has to offer odds in all games. You can just sit patiently and wait for him to make a mistake, and then you place your bet and hopefully collect your winnings!
How to predict the outcome of a game
There are a lot of factors to consider when you try to estimate the chances for the outcomes in a game. Here are some:
How do you rank the teams?
Simply, which team do you think is the best. Sometimes the league table can be misleading. A team can be a lot better or worse than the position in the table suggests for a number of reasons.
Form
How has the teams performed recently? You can look at the last 5 games when you consider the form and make a judgment from this. Is one team on a winning or a losing streak? Do you think the one team is underrated or overrated at the moment? Bear in mind, that the team may have had a run of fixtures against tough opposition or weak teams so there may other factors to consider when examining the form guide.
Motivation
This is a very important aspect. At the end of the season the teams fighting for promotion or relegation always have a high level of motivation. The teams in the middle of the table may find it hard to find the right motivation in the end of the season. Look at which teams are fighting for a place in the European competitions or to avoid relegation as an idea of which teams will be motivated.
Many teams don't take the domestic Cups seriously, so consider this when betting, especially if the team is fighting at the top or the bottom of the league. However, for some teams the Cup is the only chance to lift some silverware and these teams will have motivated. Make sure you know all about the teams motivation before you place your bet as it is not fun to find out that the team you backed is playing with the reserves...
If a team has a game in the Champions League, it can be profitable to bet against them in the domestic league in the fixture just prior or after their European match. It is not unusual that the team rests some key players for the fixture before the Champions League game and some teams struggle to find form after the highs of playing on Europe's big stage.
Many English and Italian teams don't take the Uefa Cup seriously and sometimes they field weakened teams, so keep that in mind. Also bear in mind when the Uefa Cup changes to the Europa League more teams will be playing in Europe so you will have more teams to think about.
Injuries and Suspensions
Make sure you are fully aware of the injuries and the suspensions in the team. These days it is very easy to find that sort of information, there are so many web sites providing that information and some television channels have sports news stations which will keep you informed.
When betting in the smaller leagues, it can be very profitable to get your hands on injury information about key players. If you are able to place your bet before the information become widely known you will stand a good chance of getting better odds for your predicted outcome.
Statistics
Some teams are very strong playing at home but weak when playing away. You can find out about all that in a table which separates the home and away outcomes for teams. It can also be interesting to look at the teams previous meetings as sometimes a team can have a bogey team, a team that they always lose against. This can become a psychological issue for teams and players and can be worth a bet.
Don’t bet if the odds are slashed
Say you find some injury information you think will impact on the result and you want to bet against that team. If you check the odds and find them at 1.9 having been slashed from 2.2, this is not good. That means the market knows about the injuries and some other punters have bet on the game at the higher price.
The bookmakers change the odds when a lot of people bet and often there is no value left. That’s why you have to be fast! You can often find out if the odds are slashed by looking at an Odds Comparison.
Some other things
What is the weather like and what are the condition of the pitch? If it is windy, rainy and the condition of the field is bad, that is usually not so goof for the more technical team. The outsider often takes advantage of bad weather conditions as has been shown in the cup competitions throughout the team.
How is the spirit in the team?
A new coach will often improve the teams next performance as player try harder to impress their new coach or perhaps they are relieved that the previous coach has been sacked.
Is there a lot of turbulence in the club and rumors about selling players?
Have the team been celebrating something before this game? I like to bet against a team that has already won the league but has a number of games left to play. Perhaps the players will have been celebrating their triumph a little too much or perhaps their motivation levels won’t quite be at the same high level. Go with your gut feeling, sometimes you can have an instinct about how a game will turn out and you should act upon this.
Watch as many games as you can, and remember to focus on the game and, not on the beer!

Types of bet

Singles
The most common betting type is single. That means you simply bet on the outcome of one event. That doesn’t have to be a home win, away win or draw bet in a match as there are many single betting options available. If you bet on the first goalscorer, the winner of a song contest or a skier to finish first, that is also a single bet.
It is easy to calculate the winnings from a single bet. Just multiply the stake with the odds and you get your total winning. If you bet £10 on a single bet with the odds 2.5 (decimal), 10 x 2.5, you get a total winning of £25. Net profit is 25- 10 = £15.
Summary: A single bet is a bet on one outcome.
Doubles, trebles and more
If you bet on two outcomes or more, it is called an accumulator. A bet on two outcomes is called a double. For you to win, both outcomes have to be correctly predicted.
To calculate your winnings: Say that you bet £10 on a double with the odds 2.5 and 2.0 (decimal). Then you multiply the two odds, 2.5 x 2.0 = 5.0, to get the total odds. Then you multiply it with your stake to get your total winnings; 5.0 x £10 = £50, which is hopefully straightforward.
If you chose to bet on three outcomes, it is called a treble. Usually you can make accumulators with as many as 10 different outcomes. But remember, each one has to be a win.
Long term and short term bets
A short term bet is the most common form. If the event is finished within in a week, I would call it a short term bet. If on a Tuesday you place a bet on Chelsea to win on Saturday that is short term bet.
If before the season starts, or a short time into the season, you bet on Chelsea to win the Premier League that is called a long term bet. You can already bet on who will win the World Cup 2010, but remember that your money will be locked for a long time.