Online Sports Betting Guide

Sports betting is the age old activity of wagering money on the outcome of a sporting event. Even though it's a legal grey area in some nations, it's believed more than a trillion dollars is wagered globally on sports each year. Whether this estimate is true or not is tough to say; however, the largest betting site in the UK alone had betting revenue of 958 million last year. Taking into account all the rest of the money wagered there and the rest of the world, this estimate might even be light.

The leading growth segment in sports betting is the internet, due to its convenience and low cost. Online sports betting sites don't have to pay nearly as much in overhead costs as live sportsbooks and as result you'll find better odds and even sports betting bonuses when betting online. As you can see from our rankings below, there is quite a bit of bonus money being offered by the top rated betting sites.

When it comes to a decision between online betting and local bookies, this should be an easy choice. With online betting the competition is fierce, and likewise the betting sites go out of their way to treat players well. If they don't their information with complaints is easily posted on the net for all to see. When you bet with a local bookie what recourse do you have if he fails to treat you well? So, would you rather bet online where promotions and sign-up bonuses are available via websites millions of others use, or with a local bookie who gives no perks and at best you're one of his few dozen clients. Again I contend, this should be an easy choice.

Advantages of Online Betting

The convenience alone is major factor, because many people don't have access to casinos and don't know where to find trustworthy bookies. This is especially true in the United States where sports betting has been pushed underground thanks to the US legislation.

The sports gambling sites linked on this page offer players the best all-around betting experience on the internet. Each of these sites provides a large variety of betting options. You can place wagers on all the most popular American sports, European sports and more. During special events such as the Olympics, most of these betting sites will even open new sections specifically for betting on those events.

One of the defining characteristics that the best sports gambling sites offer is security. When you wager real money at the best online betting sites, you can rest assured that you are getting a fair shake. You also know that your money is kept safe. The best sports betting sites have operated for years without losing track of player funds or failing to offer prompt payouts.

Recent gambling legislation in the United States has made it a challenge for online sports betting to operate like a few years ago, but the best online sports betting sites have managed to adapt and roll with the punches. Today, USA sports bettors can get paid via checks, money orders, person to person (P2P) cash transfer and wire transfers. International players can be paid via those methods plus other methods such as e-wallets and ACH deposits.

Another thing we looked for when ranking the best sports gambling sites are competitive betting lines. Every site is responsible for setting its own lines, but not all sports betting websites set the same lines. At many of the top sports sites, you can wager on your favorite teams and get generous payouts. Sub-par gambling sites are usually a little tighter in setting the lines.

Sports Betting Guide

If you're brand new to sports betting, you probably want to read our article on how sports betting works. To provide the quick gist - because bets on the outcomes of matches become quite lopsided when one team is heavily favored over another team, online sportsbooks use two different methods: the point spread and the moneyline, to compensate for this.

Point Spread Betting

In the point spread bet, the favored team has to win by a certain number of points. This is called "covering the spread." If that team wins but doesn't cover the spread, it's considered a loss for betting purposes. To explain if the betting line is Jets -7.5 / Bills +7.5 then spread is Jets by 7.5. If the Jets win by only 7 points players who bet on them lose, while players who bet on the Bills win. Sportsbooks do a lot of in-depth research when setting the point spread so it's usually a pretty even match.

Moneyline Betting

Moneyline bets work a little differently. In these types of bets, sportsbooks require you to wager more money on the favored team and less money on the underdog. So in some matches, you might have to wager $150 or $200 for a chance to win $100 on the favored team. If you want to bet on the underdog, your bet is less likely to win but you have a chance to win more money than you wagered. This explained in detail in my article on moneyline betting.

Popular Sports to Bet on

You can bet on almost anything, but as you know some sports are much more popular than others. A few you may be interested in are:

• Football Betting
• Cricket Betting
• Soccer Betting
• Basketball Betting
• Baseball Betting
• Hockey Betting
• Golf Betting
• MMA Betting
• Tennis Betting
• Formula 1 Betting

That's just a small list of the many things you can bet on. You'll find many sportsbooks also offer betting odds on sports such as cricket, rugby, golf, tennis, formula 1, volleyball, darts and the list goes on and on. Simple check out any of betting sites in the table contained in the intro to see all various ways there are to wager on sports.

Sports Betting Strategy

Some people have a perception of sports betting that conjures up images of degenerate gamblers getting in over their head. However, sports betting does not always have to be straight-up gambling on sucker's bets. If you pick your bets carefully and do your research, it is possible to become a profitable spots bettor over the long term. A decent article that explains one of the many ways to bet sports profitably is one I wrote on handicapping the betting market. If you like betting football you can also read my article on football betting systems for some great tips.

When digging into sports betting strategy, keep in mind successful sports bettors do not win every bet they place, but they know how to turn a profit over the long term. By consistently placing smart bets, you can gain a slight advantage over the sportsbooks. Few people ever become long-term winners in sports betting, but those who put in the effort do eventually become successful sports bettors. If you're eager to get into advanced strategy, we have great article on football betting strategy that can help you get started.

What Sports Betting Sites Have to Offer

When you bet on sports online, you can bet on just about every sport in the world. It doesn't matter if you're a football fan, soccer fan, baseball fan or anything else because if it's played, you can bet on it. You can even bet on events such as who will be the next United States president or who will win the next American Idol. You can even makes bets on events while they are in progress, which is known as live sports betting.

Basically, you can place a wager on almost any sporting event out there. Whether sports betting online or in a brick and mortar casino, there are a ton of things you can bet on. The only thing you have to do is pick a sport, choose a side and place your wager.

Betting on sports is very popular and you have a lot of wagering options. You can place straight up bets on who will win the match but there are also many other types such as proposition bets, parlays and over/under wagers.

Proposition bets (prop bets) are limited only by the imagination. In every sport, there are tons of different proposition bets ranging from the normal (like which team will score first) to the absurd (like if there will be another wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl). If you are ready to get in on the action, visit any of the top-ranked betting sites at the top of this page.