The Beginner’s Guide to Gambling

Author: Isaac Payne | Last Updated: March 2024

Gambling is one of the oldest pastimes in the world, and it’s still kicking! Some of the earliest evidence we have of gambling comes from 200 BC in Asia, with what are now recognized as keno slips for a state-funded lottery. And we’re sure that gambling dates back much farther than that, but we don’t have evidence of it.

Today, it’s estimated that more than 1.6 billion people gamble worldwide in some form or another, be it sports betting, at online casinos, or by purchasing lottery tickets. The neat thing about gambling is that many of the games we play today, like baccarat, roulette, and keno, were all among the first casino games to ever exist. It’s wild to think that today we are playing the same kind of roulette that was played in the 18th century!

But on a more serious note, even though almost a quarter of Earth’s population gambles, there are still plenty of people that don’t quite understand gambling. Maybe you live in a rural town far away from a casino, or maybe you just turned 18 or 21 and are interested in learning about gambling.

This guide to gambling will give you the resources you need to develop a firm grasp of the gambling world. We discuss everything from online casinos to sports betting sites!

And if you’re a seasoned gambler, there’s probably information on this page that’s new to you as well! Don’t be afraid to scroll through and use any of the links to get more information about specific betting sites or banking methods.

Why These Sites?

For those of you that have never visited our website before, we wanted to include this section so that you could learn about our detailed process of selection. You’ll see that we didn’t take the selection process lightly.

Before providing you with all of the details of our selection process, there’s one thing that you should know right away. Here, we never take money from gambling sites in exchange for giving them a spot on our top picks list. While some review websites out there operate that way, we never have and never will. It’s vital to us not to accept funds in exchange for placement so that we can bring you an honest and trustworthy lineup of the best high roller gambling sites in the industry. We carefully evaluated every one of the potential gambling sites on our list and investigated several key qualities.

Track Record

Before we look into anything else, the first thing we did was to investigate the track record of any potential gambling website on our list. Here, we were looking to identify which sites had a track record of allowing gamblers to make deposits, wagers, and withdrawals.

Betting Options

The second criterion that we looked into was the betting options brought to the table by any potential gambling site we were considering for our list of top picks. Here, our primary goal was to locate gambling sites that offer a vast collection of ways you can bet. We investigated both sportsbook and casino options to see what they provided. If you decide to do your wagering at any one of our best betting sites, you’ll have a huge variety of betting options so that you can do all of your gambling in one spot.

Competitive Lines and Payouts

If you’re going to gamble online, then you should be sure that you’re receiving competitive lines and payouts on all of your wagers. With that in mind, we stacked up all of our potential gambling sites to see which ones provided payouts and lines that were above the industry average. Should you choose any one of our best high stakes gambling sites as your online home, you’ll be receiving some of the best potential bang for your betting dollar.

Safety and Security

Another top priority that we investigated in potential gambling sites was safety and security. Since you’ll be potentially wagering massive sums of money online, it’s imperative that you use a website that will protect you and your funds. Because of this, our safe gambling site recommendations each have some of the highest safety and security marks in the industry. We’re 100% confident that you, your funds, and your private data will be protected at any one of our top picks.

Reputation and History

Something else that we dove into was the reputation and historical track record for any gambling site on our list of potentials. Here, we were not worried so much with the current state, but more on how they’ve performed in the past. As we finalized our list of the best high stakes gambling sites, we removed any websites that had a rocky history that we were not comfortable with. If you choose any one of our suggested websites, you’ll be gambling on a site with a clean past.

Ease of Use

We also made sure to test each site to see how easy it was to use. For our list of the best online gambling sites, we didn’t want you to struggle to utilize any gambling site. Our goal here was to ensure that you could always use any top picks website with ease and find what you are looking for. With our recommended sites, you’ll find it simple to navigate and place wagers.

Bonuses and Promotions

Bonuses and promotions are always a fabulous perk of gambling online. As we developed our final list of the best gambling sites, we ensured that each of them offered some of the best bonuses and promotional offers for players.

Withdrawal Speeds

When we were evaluating potential gambling sites for our list of recommendations, we also investigated their withdrawal speeds. Our goal with this criterion was to ensure that our list of best high stakes betting sites won’t have you waiting an eternity for your withdrawal funds. Unfortunately, some gambling websites in the industry take too long to process payouts, but you won’t have that issue if you choose to wager at any one of our suggestions above.

Quality Customer Service

Unfortunately, the quality of customer service in the online gambling industry can vary significantly between different websites. While some sites offer outstanding service, others are practically non-existent. We’ve tested each one of our gambling sites to ensure they provide top-notch customer support. Should you have an issue or a question, we’re fully confident that you’ll receive the aid you need.

Mobile Compatibility

The final box for each of our suggested gambling websites was for mobile compatibility. It’s important to us that you can wager from mobile devices. That’s why all of our top picks have an excellent mobile-friendly website that will make it simple for you to bet from your tablet or smartphone. With this functionality, you can bet in a matter of moments from just about anywhere!

Online Sports Betting

Not all gambling on the Internet is about blackjack or slots! There are millions of people who use online sportsbooks to place wagers on their favorite teams.

Because many states in the US don’t have established, state-sponsored sportsbooks, offshore online sportsbooks give US bettors the opportunity to place wagers no matter where they are. These sportsbooks offer some of the best bonuses in the business, and they make it super simple to deposit and withdraw your funds.

We recommend all kinds of different sportsbooks based on the sport you’re looking to bet on. Some sites are better for NFL wagers, while other sites specialize in e-sports betting. No matter what sport you’re interested in, there’s an online bookie for you!

If you’re new to sports betting, here’s a quick guide to get you up to speed. But, if you already know the ins and outs of sports betting and are just looking for a great place to place your wagers, here’s a list of some of our favorite sportsbooks!

• Football Betting Sites
• Basketball Betting Sites
• Baseball Betting Sites
• Hockey Betting Sites
• Soccer Betting Sites
• Tennis Betting Sites
• Golf Betting Sites
• Boxing Betting Sites
• E-Sports Betting Sites

Types of Wagers

There’s a little bit more to sports betting than simply throwing your money down on an outcome. There are a few different types of bets you need to be aware of. Let’s take a look at some of those now.

Moneyline

This is the simplest form of bet and the one you’re most likely already familiar with.

All that needs to happen for you to win a moneyline bet is for the team or athlete you pick to win.

For example, if Arsenal FC is playing Manchester United and you pick Arsenal, who then wins 3-1, you win.

Pay attention to the odds of any moneyline bet you are thinking of placing. Bets on the underdog will always pay more than bets on the favorite.

Continuing with our previous example, if Arsenal is 2/1 (+200.00) to win and you bet $10 on it, you’ll win $20, whereas if they had been 4/1 (+400.00), you would have won $40 from the same $10 bet.

Totals

Total bets are sometimes called over/under bets, and the concern here is what the combined score/points will be at the end of the game or match.

For example, in the Manchester United vs. Arsenal example, a total bet could look like this.

You’ll need to pick whether Arsenal is likely to score more than three goals in the entire match. You can pick over or under, and bets will pay accordingly. If they score exactly three, this is called a “push,” and the bet is refunded.

Total bets are notoriously hard to predict, but some betting wizards sift through historical data and notice opportunities. It’s your call as to whether or not you engage in this type of betting. It’s always optional.

Point Spread

When you first encounter point spread betting, it can seem a little confusing, to say the least.

Yet once understood, this type of bet is both popular and highly lucrative.

Let’s say the Steelers are playing against the Cowboys in a football game.

The point spread might look something like this.

In this case, the Steelers are the favorites. Don’t worry about how realistic this scenario is; it’s just an example!

So, if you bet on the Steelers to win, they’ll need to do so by a margin of more than 6 points for the bet to come good. For example, they’ll have to win 40-33.

Likewise, if you back the Cowboys and they lose the game by less than 6 points, your bet will still pay. It will also pay if they win outright.

Point spread betting is a little more complicated than straight-up moneyline bets, but this type of betting is incredibly popular because there are lots of hidden opportunities for knowledgeable bettors.

For example, if you see a team marked as the clear underdog with a large point spread and you definitely don’t agree, then that’s a good opportunity to make some money. Bet that the game will be a lot closer than the bookies indicate with their spread, and if you’re right, then count your cash.

Prop Bets and Specials

Live betting has changed the nature of sports betting forever, making it possible to bet on an endless number of outcomes while the game or match is still unfolding.

For example, going back to our Arsenal versus Manchester City example, let’s say Arsenal is awarded a penalty kick in the 80th minute. You can place a single bet, unrelated to any other bets you’ve made, as to whether or not they’ll score the penalty.

This definitely adds an extra element of excitement into sports betting. Suddenly, a boring corner kick or standard tennis serve becomes a potentially profitable betting opportunity for those ready to capitalize.

Specials bets are a different animal altogether and don’t even necessarily revolve around sports betting. For example, you can bet on which city will have the coldest weather this weekend, or whether or not a certain celebrity couple will announce a pregnancy before the end of the year, or who will win a TV talent show.

Top Online Gambling Sites by Type

If you’re looking for a specific kind of gambling site, be it a site for a specific region, with a certain banking method, or for a certain game, we’ve got you covered:

Top Gambling Sites by Region

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Europe
• Australia

Top Gambling Sites By Banking Method

• Skrill Gambling Sites
• Neteller Gambling Sites
• Visa Gambling Sites
• Mastercard Gambling Sites
• Credit Card Sites
• Paysafecard Gambling Sites
• Gambling Sites Accepting Bank Wire
• American Express Gambling Sites

Cryptocurrency Gambling Sites

• Bitcoin Gambling Sites
• BitcoinCash Gambling Sites
• Ethereum Gambling Sites
• Litecoin Gambling Sites
• Dogecoin Gambling Sites

Top Gambling Sites By Game

• Poker Sites
• Blackjack Sites
• Online Slots Sites
• Video Poker Sites
• Texas Hold’Em Sites
• Roulette Sites
• Baccarat Sites
• Craps Sites
• Keno Sites

Other Top Gambling Sites

• Safest Sites
• Entertainment Sites
• Mobile Sites
• Mac Sites
• Linux Sites
• High Stakes Sites
• Smartwatch Gambling
• Best Payout Sites

More Gambling Information

In the following sections of our guide we deal with a range of additional gambling related topics. Some of them are included because we thought you would find them interesting, while others cover information that you really need to know. Remember, we’re always adding to our guide so please check back soon if you don’t see anything here that grabs your attention right away.

Regional Gambling Laws & Regulation

The laws relating to gambling vary greatly around the world. In some regions, gambling in all its forms is completely legal and fully regulated. In others, gambling of any kind is explicitly illegal and punishable by law. In many regions, the laws are somewhere between these two extremes.

The fact that different countries have different gambling laws isn’t really a problem by itself. What can be a problem, however, is the fact that in many countries the laws are very unclear. It can be difficult to know for sure what’s legal and what isn’t. This is especially true when it comes to online gambling.

The gambling legislation in some countries is very outdated, having been created long before the internet existed. This can make it difficult to interpret how certain laws relate to online betting and gaming. Online gambling also presents the issue of jurisdiction. If you are sitting in front of your computer in the United States, using a gambling site that is based in Costa Rica, which set of laws will apply to you?

All in all, the legalities of gambling are very confusing. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to regional gambling laws and the relevant regulation that applies. It covers the legal state of gambling in regions all over the world, including a state by state analysis for the United States.

A Final Point

If we could only give you one piece of advice, then it would be to always be prepared to lose when gambling. Most gamblers win money here and there, but in the long run the majority of gamblers will be at a loss. This is why it’s very important to only ever gamble with money you can afford to lose. If you’re having fun and not spending money you need for other things, then losing it doesn’t really matter. It’s basically just spending money on a form of entertainment but it’s very important to always gamble responsibly.

With that being said, it IS possible to be a long term winner from certain forms of gambling. There’s no magic system that will guarantee consistent profits, but you can be successful if you are prepared to put in the time and effort to learn the necessary skills and strategies required. This guide will help you do just that.

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