A decade ago you could only bet in a physical shop, and you could only bet before the match started. Two decades ago, you could only use cash in betting shops, meaning you could only bet with money you physically had.
Now, online betting means that your bets can be placed instantly, on odds that are constantly being updated. You can bet with a card and some places will even let you bet with Cryptocurrency. One of the major changes to sports betting is that you can now make In-Play bets.
With so many options available with online Sportsbooks, it can be an overwhelming experience. It can take a long time to work out what types of betting are worth the gamble and what aren’t.
When it comes to making the most of your sportsbooks – you have two options. You can either spend a few years working out how to beat the bookies on your own or you can read this article and learn how to do it in five minutes.
If you want to choose the quick option, keep on reading to learn how to get the most out of your Sportsbook.
Use an odds comparison site
When you begin betting you will want to find a Sportsbook that will consistently offer you the best odds. To do this you can use Sportsbook comparison sites.
These sites will compare the odds over a large number of matches and present to you the Sportsbooks that will offer you the best chance of turning a profit on your bests. These results may vary from sport to sport.
Using a series of comparison sites, we found a great place to find good odds on the NFL Playoffs is Fanduel
Make the most of in competition offers
During big events and competitions – like the Soccer World Cup or the Superbowl – many sites will put up exclusive offers and deals to draw new customers to their sites. Make the most of these deals. The jackpots may be smaller, but they will offer you the chance to play more with less cash.
Stick to one site
At the beginning of this article, we talked about shopping around for the best odds. Once you have found the site that offers you the best odds regularly, we recommend sticking with it.
We recommend this for two reasons.
Firstly, many sites will reward you for your loyalty. This may be with free bets or spins, or they might offer you exclusive odds once you have placed a certain amount of bets with them. These companies want to keep your business and they will reward you for sticking with them.
Secondly, if you regularly switch between betting sites you can get banned from sites as they see this as suspicious behavior. This can include locking you out from your winnings.
Set a budget
Sports betting is a tricky activity to stop. When you are winning you never want the feeling to end so you keep betting. When you are losing you keep betting to try and make up for the money you have lost. Doing either of these things makes you more likely to lose money.
We recommend setting aside a sum of money every month. A sum that you could afford to lose if everything went wrong. And only bet with that. Once that fund has run out, you shouldn’t place any bets until the start of the next month.
If you have anything leftover at the end of the month, you can always carry it over to the next month.
Understand how sportsbooks make their money
Whether you gamble in a casino or with a Sportsbook, you will often hear people talking about the ‘House’s Edge’. This is a euphemistic phrase for the fact that the house will eventually make a profit from your gambling.
Is there a way to beat the house’s edge?
Well, the best way you can do this is to restrict the amount of money you put into the system. We recommend setting yourself a monthly betting budget and not going over it. This includes not putting your winnings back into more bets.
Sportsbook bets are not like investments – they are not always going to turn a profit. If you win on a bet, keep your money and enjoy it
