Archive for the Sports Betting category.
June 07, 2010
There once was a time when placing a bet meant trudging in all weathers down to your local bookie, if you were lucky enough to have one, that is. But now you don’t even have to leave the house to place a bet. Internet gambling has become huge. You’re still placing your bets with the same bookies you see on the High Street, but you do it from your computer instead.
All the major bookmakers have an online betting presence now, and in many instances you have easier access to the choices available than you would when waiting at a shop counter for the cashier to find your bet. Not only that, you can instantly see who is giving the best prices for your selections with sites like www.oddschecker.com and www.valuechecker.com, and then place your bets accordingly.
So how do you place an internet bet? First, you have to open an account with your bookmaker(s). That does involve giving over personal and bank details, but the bookmakers take security very seriously. You can use a debit or credit card for instant bets and deposits, but bear in mind that a) there will be a fee for using credit cards, and b) any winnings must be withdrawn back to the card used. There are several other methods of depositing cash as well. For example, William Hill will accept deposits by PayPal.
Like any form of gambling, due care and common sense is always advisable and one should never ever bet more than one can afford to lose.
June 04, 2010
One of the most common varieties of free bets in the online sports betting marketplace are those which match a new customer’s first deposit. With this style of free bet, the bookmaker or online casino will match the first deposit made by a customer when they open up their real money account.
However, there are often differences with this style of free bet as to how the initial deposit amount is matched by the hosting betting shop or casino. Some online bookmakers will match the initial deposit up to a certain amount, others will match a percentage of the initial deposit and some will offer a set figure depending on the amount deposited. In some rare cases, some online betting shops will offer a random amount upon sign up, however in these instances the online betting shop is often tied to an online casino.
Using online bookmakers and casinos who offer free bets in the form of matching a customer’s initial deposit is a great way for gamblers to maximise their starting bankrolls. This is also a good way for unlucky gamblers whose accounts are running low to boost their sports betting funds, as free bets awarded after opening a new account with a new bookmaker or casino are often larger than those awarded after reloading an account.
Before the free bet money which is awarded by the house can be withdrawn, though, it has to be staked. This means the free bet money cannot be immediately withdrawn.
June 01, 2010
Internet gambling has grown in popularity for a number of different reasons. The idea of internet gambling creates a much more comfortable feeling for many customers who like to bet and gamble on a variety of different sports and games.
Internet gambling is much more discrete, which allows a customer to enjoy a form of leisure they always have done but in a more private way.
The internet has also made advertising for bookmakers such as William Hill and Ladbrokes much more accessible. This means extra revenue streams have been created. These bookmakers then put this extra money back into the service so they can offer a more complete experience to the customer. It does mean that some of the games are slowed down by big advertisements, but this is a small price to pay.
Internet gambling has also allowed customers to play and gamble in a more responsible way. In previous years there were only high street shops who did not display warnings about the risk of addictive gambling. Internet gambling companies can now display full warning messages on screen and in play. They also allow customers to control their spending habits, which mean they do not spend over what they can afford to pay.
Internet gambling will one day replace the betting shops altogether. This is not a negative in any sense because internet gambling is more fun, responsible and accessible than the high street shops could ever hope to be.
May 25, 2010
Established in 1934 in Wood Green, a North London suburb, William Hill plc is now one of the UK’s largest bookmaking companies. It is currently listed on the London Stock Exchange and is also a member of the FTSE 250 Index. Although it was originally founded by William Hill, the company changed hands a number of times prior to 1971 when it was acquired by Sears Holdings. In 1997 Nomura, a Japanese investment bank, proposed a £700 million leveraged buyout.
Today, William Hill bookmakers operate in both Ireland and the UK offering wagering by telephone and over the internet as well as at their bookmaking shops. Company revenues listed at the end of 2009 were listed as just under £1 billion and like Ladbrokes of London, they now employ some 15,000 people. Additionally, their net profits topped the £81 million mark and their operating income was over £250 million.
In recent years, their internet division has witnessed the greatest growth despite the fact that their gambling shops process nearly 890,000 betting slips on a daily basis. In addition to the internet sportsbook operations, William Hill also offers their clientele other casino games and skill games, as well as online bingo and poker.
This past year (2009) saw William Hill move their fixed-odds and online divisions outside of the UK to Gibraltar for the purposes of avoiding taxes on those two operations. In any event, the company is one of the largest bookmaking companies in Europe and the largest in the United Kingdom.
May 23, 2010
Sports betting underwent a big surge in popularity in the 90s with the increase in live televised sports on satellite TV, but as the internet has grown in popularity since the turn of the new millennium, the sudden upsurge in popularity is firmly with online gambling – bingo, casinos, poker and, of course, sports betting.
William Hill, Ladbrokes, and the other main betting sites all have online poker rooms and casinos with a huge variety of games to be played. New players are enticed with very generous-looking deposit-matching bonuses and free bets, sometimes as high as $250 (USD), and existing members are encouraged to keep playing to rack up play-points which can be turned back into cash or used to enter poker tournaments.
Poker tournaments are now big business and are amazing draws for the ordinary man or woman. Freerolls (free entry tournaments) are available daily, and for low buy-ins you can enter qualifiers for major poker tournaments with massive prizes. The prospect of playing alongside celebrities and major sporting personalities is also attracting more and more people to online poker rooms.
The largest gambling country in Europe is the UK where the average expenditure per person on gaming sites is £10-£20 per week. Gambling can take place via mobile phone, computer, or the red button on satellite and digital TV.
One of the major concerns with regard to online gambling is the threat to under-age people, but to counter this there are identity check procedures in place to verify the identity and age of a person prior to them being allowed access.
May 21, 2010
One of the most important aspects of any form of sports betting is to make sure that you choose the most reliable bookmaker in the market. This is regardless of whether you are participating in internet gambling or physically going to a building and placing your bet. The reason for this is that the more prestigious organizations such as William Hill and Ladbrokes have reputations that are literally decades old, and are just as committed to the integrity of sports betting as the governments which regulate corruption issues with match fixing and other cheating problems.
When looking at sports betting you need to know that the bookmaker in question is going to treat your money as if it were his very own. In the case of the larger companies they make more money if you make money, so the overall goal of the bookmaker is to get you winning money and thus placing more bets, and while it is true that they take a commission and they also make money against the odds; this is the nature of sports betting. The key is to find a company that is reliably honest in their dealings. This ensures that your money is taken care of in the long run, and that you are not going into a situation where your money is being taken for a ride while you get left behind. Every bookmaker has their own rules and regulations regarding sports betting, so be sure to read the details of the fine print before you sign anything.
May 17, 2010
Horse racing is still the most popular of the sports betting mediums in the UK, and £100 million was estimated to be bet on this year’s Grand National alone. In addition to being the most popular sport to make a bet on, horse racing still provides the likes of Ladbrokes – the world’s biggest bookmaker – with most of their profits.
Is it possible to make a profit on horse racing? Yes it is possible, and there are a number of successful horse racing gamblers in the UK. How do they do it? Each will have their own methods and plans, but here is a list of ways that the ordinary punter can improve their betting on horse racing and move towards that elusive overall profit.
* Be disciplined. Don’t be talked into a bet by a pal, and don’t bet “on a hunch”.
* Record all your bets. This is the only way you’ll ever know if you are winning or losing.
* Avoid trainers whose horses are out of form. Although horses are individuals, stables can, and do, go through winning streaks and losing ones.
* Pay special attention to improving horses. These are mostly the younger brigade who come through and stay ahead of the handicapper by virtue of their improvement, but occasionally an older horse will show improvement.
* Follow trainers’ successful patterns. Many trainers target certain meetings or types of race and train their horse specifically for them.
* Horses for courses: Big, galloping types need bigger galloping tracks like Newbury to show their best form, whereas handier, nippy types perform better at tight tracks like Chester.
* Search for the best odds. Use betting sites like www.oddschecker.com to pinpoint the best odds, and also watch the betting exchanges where it is possible to get better odds than those available at bookmakers.
* Bet early! If you happen to spot a great price, chances are you won’t be the only one. Get on at the price early, before everyone else shortens it up.
* Take care in bad weather. Be aware that bad weather, as well as cancelling racing, can prevent some trainers from keeping their horses fit. Read as much about trainers as you can.
* Don’t take a short price. If the price has shortened up markedly, you have lost the value. Better to wait for the next opportunity!
May 16, 2010
If you like to have a bet, then you are a very important person—probably more important than you realise. Betting sites and bookmakers are falling over themselves to entice new customers and to keep current ones. The advent of internet gambling has made it so easy for the punter to place a bet in many places at once.
Gone are the days when choice was limited to the number of betting shops within walking distance of your home. Go to www.oddschecker.com and instantly the odds from up to fifteen betting sites are at your disposal. Every one of them is clamouring for your cash and offer incentives to get you to bet with them, ranging from best odds guarantees to free bets for fallers. Almost all of them also provide incentives for new customers, ranging from a £10 free bet from Ladbrokes, to a massive £200 maximum matched deposit amount.
It isn’t just limited to horse racing either. On virtually all televised football matches punters are faced with a plethora of attention-grabbing incentives, like “money back if the match finishes 0-0,” or “stake returned as a free bet if there’s a last-minute goal.” Monitoring the specials on offer is just as important to look for as looking for the best price available.
Free bets are another great way for betting sites to keep you interested. Ladbrokes and William Hill always have free bet offers at weekends for certain staking requirements, and Skybet send their customers no-restriction free bets fairly regularly.
May 13, 2010
Whether you are new to gambling or you have been participating in the hobby for years, online sports betting guides will be able to give you some handy tips and hints on how to win more money. There are many different types of sports betting guides online and it is likely that you will find one that can offer you some tips.
If you are signed up with an online betting website then you will usually have access to a betting guide. It is in the bookmaker’s interests to make your betting experience more enjoyable, and if you understand the game more you will be likely to participate more often. If you pay attention to the tips they give you, it may go in your advantage and increase your winnings dramatically.
Another type of betting guide that you might find useful is a sports specific betting guide. These will normally include an explanation of the various types of bets, the details around tournaments and sports leagues as well as information on the players. If you are able to read through one of these types of betting guides before playing it will be to your advantage. It will give you a good footing and understanding of the match before you place your bet.
There are plenty of betting guides around on the internet, and you will also find forums that are popular with gamblers. Signing up with gambling forums means that you will be able to get advice from other gamblers, and become part of a community that is out to support one another.
May 11, 2010
What is the worst aspect of betting? It’s losing of course. The excitement and heady thrill of winning can be put firmly in place by the more than sobering feeling of losing. Wouldn’t it be great if you could bet without the risk of losing?
Now it is possible to pit your skills against other gamblers and win cash prizes without the fear of losing any capital. OLBG Sports’ www.online-betting-guide.co.uk is an online gambling site that, apart from being highly informative for the occasions when you do want to put money on something, has a monthly tipping competition with numerous leagues and cash prizes available. Members start each month with an imaginary £1000, and at the end of the month you could top any number of tipster tables and win cash. You can pick your tips from any type of sports betting, and the odds your tip goes on is taken from the current odds from major bookmakers and betting sites. If you prove to be one of the top tipsters over any current six-month period, you will automatically be included in the OLBG Sports “Pro-Tipster” competitions where the prizes go as high as £100 each month.
What’s the catch? The beauty of it is there is none. You don’t pay any money and you don’t make any commitment. It’s all the fun of serious betting without the risk of losing. Of course, you can play this competition while still betting on your selections, but the big advantage of OLBG Sports is that you can see instantly which sports you are making a profit at, month after month.