Sports Betting Sites

In the last decade, online sports betting has for the most part replaced the more traditional TAB forms such or the professional bookie. As in so many other professions, the Internet has largely cut out the middle man, and the paper form, from the wagering process. Online betting vastly expands the variety of what can be bet on, and puts the power and control fully in the hands, and fingers, of the sports fan.

Every punter now possesses the tools and resources which allows him – and increasingly her! – to demonstrate the superiority of their insights into cricket, rugby, Australian football, you name it. Will the All Blacks humiliate the Wallabies yet again, or could this be the fixture when that amazing streak comes to an end? Or, in the next Cricket World Cup in England, will the Kiwis exact revenge for their heartbreaking 2015 loss to Australia?  Just pick your event, your team, your league or your tournament, choose the margin of victory, or bet on just about any other factor under the sun.

Every Sport Under the Sun

At an online sportsbook, you have an opportunity to wager on just about any sport and sporting event. Single or line/handicap bets are available on all football and rugby fixtures, including AFL, NRL, Rugby Union, Super Rugby and A-League matches. Live betting means you can wager that a team will win a match by coming from behind or bet on the time the next goal will be scored.

Loads of American and European sports are on offer too. You can make season and game bets on popular international leagues such as the EPL, the German Bundesliga, NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball. At some online sports books, you can also bet multi wagers across various sports and countries.

If you want to bet on racing, whether trotters or dogs, locally or internationally, you’ll find the most advantageous SP odds online. The vast majority of sports books will equal the best odds of the various totes, and you can choose from a plethora of exotic racing bets like trifectas, quinellas, exactas, trebles and quaddies.  This variety of choices means that it’s in your interest to do some research on strategies for successfully betting on your chosen sport.

What Can You Bet On: Betting Markets

Online sportsbooks give bettors a vast selection of sporting events to wager on, from across the globe, with real-time updating of odds calculated based largely on the actions of other players, who are influenced in turn by external factors like news, weather and, not to be underestimated, gut feelings and intuition.  The attentive punter will watch the books with keen interest, gauging the ups and downs of the odds. And with live, in-play betting, they can also choose just the right moment to place bets that will bring the largest expected return.

There’s also a tremendous selection of wagers on offer, both for individual events and for end-of-season league outcomes. For example, for any given rugby fixture you can typically bet on: the final tally, who will be ahead at half-time, the points spread, and who is going to be the leading scorer. Even more ‘exotic’ bet options, such as who or which position will score first, who or which team will score last, the percentage of successful tries, or even whether a penalty will be called on the first score.

Season bets are also on offer for most leagues in the world – including southern hemisphere favorites like the Rugby Union or the Australian Football League, so before the season starts, or even after it begins, you can wager who will make it to the finals or play-offs, who’ll win the title or a specific tournament, who’ll end dead last, and almost any other result or possibility that you can imagine.

Last but not least, online sports betting has expanded to encompass events which are not sporting at all, such as political elections and referendums, celebrities, entertainment awards, births and deaths, marriages and divorces and, even the weather.

Live, In-Play Betting

You’ll also find live betting, aka ‘in-play’ betting when you’re online. In-play betting lets you place bets on games as they are in process. So the odds are changing all the time and there are always new options opening up and others closing.  Seasoned punters have really taken to live-betting, as it is a whole new adrenaline rush.

Getting Started with Online Sports Betting

First you need to choose an online sportsbook. Online sportsbooks have become serious big business, with tight regulations ensuring that they play fair. Signing up is a fairly straightforward process. Once you have an account, you need to deposit some money into your sportsbook account – this can be done with bank transfers, credit cards or an e-wallet like Skrill or Neteller.  Then just browse through the different betting markets and place your bet.

Most sportsbooks are also mobile ready and you can place a bet on your computer just as easily as on a mobile device or tablet using either your browser or a downloadable app. If you need help at any point, the bigger sportsbooks have 24/7 support via live chat or phone, and can walk you through the entire process, all the way down to placing your bet and withdrawing your win.

The leaders in the field tend to be international companies with reputations established and confirmed over time, usually with a strong offline presence and robust online offerings, such as the venerable bookmakers Ladbrokes and bet365. The result of all this competition is that, assuming you stick with the tried-and-true, you can wager with confidence, assured that you’re playing with an industry leader who has too much at stake to fool around.

Having an active account with a good sportsbook also increases your versatility and efficiency. Not only do they often offer better odds, but the same account you use for sportsbetting can usually also be used for online casino games. And you never know when that next intuitive flash about the outcome of the next rugby fixtures is going to strike you.

Promotions and Bonuses

Online sports books offer players a wealth of bonuses and promotions that add up to real value which traditional bookies cannot come close to matching. You’ll find a broad range of match bonuses. One generous introductory bonus is where the sportsbook will match your first deposit, effectively doubling your bankroll. Many, too, have free bets and also offer a Refer a Friend Bonus if your mate signs up for an account.

Since online sports betting has become such a competitive market, sportsbooks work overtime to draw in and keep their customers. You will frequently find promotions rewarding regular loyal punters.

For example, during the important Australian spring and autumn horse racing events you will almost certainly money-back deals. Regulars might also find promotions where placing a certain number of bets each week qualifies you for free bonus play.

Bottom Line

Sportsbooks add extra excitement to following your favorite team or becoming the resident expert on a specific sport or league around the office water cooler or over a tall cool one at the local pub.  Online bookmakers will offer you plenty of advice, expertise and support along the way as well as substantial bonuses and incentives for trying them out and becoming a loyal regular. The online bookies we have reviewed and recommend are known industry leaders, so you can rest assured that you are getting good value and enjoying the opportunity to bet on the proverbial level playing field.

But in the end, sports betting comes down to you – you, your endless wisdom about your chosen teams and sports and, of course, that infallible gut instinct of yours!