SLSF Articles

Sports betting has been a big part of sports since the dawn of sports themselves. The attraction of betting on sports is hard to overcome for some, and others, don’t even see the point in it!

In the United States, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 makes it illegal to operate a betting, gambling or wagering scheme in most of the States that make up the United States. The States that are exempt are Delaware, Nevada, Montana and Oregon. However, although these four states allow gambling, only Nevada and Delaware allow sport betting.

Some people fear that sports gambling threatens the integrity of sport, but sport betting generally increases people’s interest in sports.

Sports betting odds are either presented in fractional odds, decimal odds or moneyline odds. Fractional odds are favored by bookmakers in the United Kingdom, Australia and continental Europe, Decimal odds are favored in Canada and Moneyline odds are favored in the United States.

Some people make a decent living out of sports betting by utilizing information on the sports they are betting on.

Sport betting is mainly done through a bookmaker. Legal sports bookmakers exist in many places, but in areas where sports betting is illegal, bettors usually make their sports wagers with either illicit bookmakers known as bookies. Another way to bet on sports is via the internet. Online bookmakers generally operate outside of the U.S. Some online bookmakers do not accept wagers from the United States though, due to unresolved legal questions.

The bookmaker makes a living by charging a commission, or a vigorish. The bookmaker does this by guaranteeing that the odds for both outcomes of the sport come slightly less to breaking even.

Alternative Sports Bets include:

1. Future wagers - Future wagers are long term bets, e.g. a bet that a certain Major League Baseball team will will the World Series.

2. Head to head - These bets are placed when wanting one or two sportsmen to out beat another.

3. Parlays - This involves multiple bets, and if won the bettor would win a larger payout.

4. Proposition bets ” Proposition bets are specific bets, like guessing the number of runs in a baseball game.

5. Teasers - A teaser bet allows the bettor to combine his bets on two or more different games.

Arbitrage betting. Arbitrage betting is a betting technique that can land some high payouts. It is most common on Internet gambling. Because of how lines move quickly during sporting events, this type of sport betting is possible. Theoretically, a small profit of 1-3% is possible when a person bets one way at a shop and the opposite way at a second shop.

This technique can be quite confusing, for more information on this, please check out the ‘Sports Betting’ link below.