If you want to be a sports bettor, our beginner’s guide to sports betting will be of great help!
The great news is that there has never been a better time to get involved in betting. There are more online bookmakers than ever before, and these are continuously having to come up with new ways to stand out from the crowd.
From the best odds and the most generous bonuses and promotions to extra services like live streaming, sports bettors have never had it so good!
Want to get started? Let’s get stuck into our beginner’s tips to sports betting.
1. How to Choose a Bookmaker
How do you choose a dealer when buying a new car? How do you select an electronics retailer when purchasing a new TV?
In your mind, you will be shortlisting candidates based on a number of factors – price, location, quality of service and so on, and the job of choosing a bookmaker is exactly the same.
The start of any beginner's guide to sports betting has to focus on selecting your new bookie. You could always take a shortcut and read lots of different bookmaker reviews if you wanted to, but if you prefer to do your own research then here are some pointers to consider:
Research Factors
Details
Licencing/Legality
Is the bookie licensed to operate in your country? Is it legal for you to bet in your country?
Bonuses/Promotions
What is the welcome bonus? What are the wagering requirements? Do you get free bets? Risk free bets? Cashback?
Odds
Does the bookie offer generous odds for the sports/markets YOU want to bet on?
Market Depth
Can you bet on all of the markets you want to? Are your favourite niche sports offered?
User Experience
How easy is it to contact customer support? What payment methods do they accept? Does the website work well on your device? How easy is it to make a deposit/withdrawal?
Mobile
Is there an app available? If not, how good does the mobile browser site work?
This may seem like a thousand questions, but the key point to take away from this sports betting 101 is that if you make the right choices as far as your bookmakers are concerned, your betting experience will be far greater.
2. How to Sign up with a Bookmaker
After taking the advice in the last section, you may by now have chosen your preferred sportsbook to join.
One thing we have to point out in this complete beginner’s guide to sports betting is that before signing up with them you should be taking advantage of their welcome bonus, which you can do by making a note of any bonus codes that are available.
These typically unlock the welcome bonus, and so when you are going through the registration process you will be asked to enter a bonus code to trigger any welcome offer.
One of the things that newcomers to sports betting worry about is entering their personal information, such as name, address and bank/credit card details online. But really, you have nothing to worry about if you remember our advice from earlier – if the bookmaker is licensed and regulated, if they have utilised SSL encryption or if they have a padlock icon on screen, you know they are safe.
So now you’ve chosen your favourite bookmaker, registered for an account with them and triggered their welcome offer using your bonus code.
The next thing part of this sports betting guide relates to adding funds to your account, and you do this by making a deposit.
This is a process similar to paying for anything online these days. You head to the cashier section of the bookie’s site, select the payment method you want to use, determine your deposit amount and complete the transaction. Your balance will be updated in a matter of seconds!
There are many different payment methods accepted, from the leading debit/credit card brands such as Visa and Mastercard to e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, paysafecard and so on. Some brands let you carry out bank transfers, and a growing number even allow you to use your bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
4. How to Place a Bet
Armed with a funded account, you are now ready to learn the next steps of how to bet on sports.
Presumably, you already have a favourite sport to bet on in mind. Let’s say for the sake of argument that it’s football, but many of the pointers below are relevant across the sporting spectrum.
Let’s use a made up example, and say that you want to bet on the Champions League final. You will use the A-Z list of sports on your betting site and select football. Then you will navigate to the ‘competitions’ tab, give it a click and you should see ‘Champions League’ listed fairly prominently.
You bet on the home team to win, the away team to win, or the draw
Double Chance
You bet on the home team to win/draw or the away team to win/draw
Under/Over
You bet on the total number of goals
Both Teams to Score
You bet on both teams to score at least one goal
Draw No Bet
You bet on either the home team or away team to win and in the case of a draw your money is given back to you
There are so many different betting markets available in all sports, and while we can tell you how to place a bet in this beginner's guide to sports betting, unfortunately we can’t tell you how you can win every time! There are also a lot of different systems and strategies for sports betting, so it's really possible to win.
5. Tips for Sports Betting Success
There are some people out there who call themselves professional bettors, e.g. sports betting is their main source of income.
They don’t have a crystal ball, so how are they able to consistently pick winning selections?
Here’s the thing: if you are able to find value in your betting, you will stand a greater chance of being profitable in the long run.
Everyone has an idea of what ‘value’ means, whether you are buying a new house, a car, a new TV and so on. Value is defined as when the object in question is available at a price below what would be considered ‘right’.
The same is essentially true in sports betting. Where the probability of something happening is reflected by the odds, you will find value. So if you think Barcelona have a great chance of beating, say, Real Madrid, and their odds are generous enough, that is a bet you should be making.
That, ultimately, is the key of how to bet on sports successfully. Follow our beginner’s guide to sports betting and place more value bets and you should be profitable in the long run!
6. Beginner's Guide to Sports Betting - FAQ
6.1 ⚽ What is a good amount to bet?
Most experts recommend placing 1%-3% of your bankroll on each bet.
6.2 🏈 How should a beginner bet?
Beginners should start with a small and manageable budget. It is important to employ fixed wager sizes or a proportion of their bankroll, and prioritize safe gambling while learning the fundamentals of their preferred form of betting.
6.3 🎾 How do you start winning sports bets?
To begin winning sports bets, you must first research the teams or events, examine the odds, and employ smart techniques. A publication like the "Beginner's Guide to Sports Betting" can provide important insights and tips.
Beginner's Guide to Sports Betting
If you want to be a sports bettor, our beginner’s guide to sports betting will be of great help!
The great news is that there has never been a better time to get involved in betting. There are more online bookmakers than ever before, and these are continuously having to come up with new ways to stand out from the crowd.
From the best odds and the most generous bonuses and promotions to extra services like live streaming, sports bettors have never had it so good!
Want to get started? Let’s get stuck into our beginner’s tips to sports betting.
1. How to Choose a Bookmaker
How do you choose a dealer when buying a new car? How do you select an electronics retailer when purchasing a new TV?
In your mind, you will be shortlisting candidates based on a number of factors – price, location, quality of service and so on, and the job of choosing a bookmaker is exactly the same.
The start of any beginner's guide to sports betting has to focus on selecting your new bookie. You could always take a shortcut and read lots of different bookmaker reviews if you wanted to, but if you prefer to do your own research then here are some pointers to consider:
This may seem like a thousand questions, but the key point to take away from this sports betting 101 is that if you make the right choices as far as your bookmakers are concerned, your betting experience will be far greater.
2. How to Sign up with a Bookmaker
After taking the advice in the last section, you may by now have chosen your preferred sportsbook to join.
One thing we have to point out in this complete beginner’s guide to sports betting is that before signing up with them you should be taking advantage of their welcome bonus, which you can do by making a note of any bonus codes that are available.
These typically unlock the welcome bonus, and so when you are going through the registration process you will be asked to enter a bonus code to trigger any welcome offer.
One of the things that newcomers to sports betting worry about is entering their personal information, such as name, address and bank/credit card details online. But really, you have nothing to worry about if you remember our advice from earlier – if the bookmaker is licensed and regulated, if they have utilised SSL encryption or if they have a padlock icon on screen, you know they are safe.
Take the time to learn about their security measures by reading their website prior to registration. However, we always say that sports betting is absolutely safe, especially if you know where to place your bets.
3. How to Make a Deposit at a Betting Site
So now you’ve chosen your favourite bookmaker, registered for an account with them and triggered their welcome offer using your bonus code.
The next thing part of this sports betting guide relates to adding funds to your account, and you do this by making a deposit.
This is a process similar to paying for anything online these days. You head to the cashier section of the bookie’s site, select the payment method you want to use, determine your deposit amount and complete the transaction. Your balance will be updated in a matter of seconds!
There are many different payment methods accepted, from the leading debit/credit card brands such as Visa and Mastercard to e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, paysafecard and so on. Some brands let you carry out bank transfers, and a growing number even allow you to use your bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
4. How to Place a Bet
Armed with a funded account, you are now ready to learn the next steps of how to bet on sports.
Presumably, you already have a favourite sport to bet on in mind. Let’s say for the sake of argument that it’s football, but many of the pointers below are relevant across the sporting spectrum.
Let’s use a made up example, and say that you want to bet on the Champions League final. You will use the A-Z list of sports on your betting site and select football. Then you will navigate to the ‘competitions’ tab, give it a click and you should see ‘Champions League’ listed fairly prominently.
You will now see all of your betting options listed. You can wager on the team you think will win the match, what the final score will be, how many goals, cards and corners there will be, which players will score and so on. It is similar when it comes to rules for betting on horse racing we wrote about in one of our articles. or any other sport available in bookmakers' offer.
There are so many different betting markets available in all sports, and while we can tell you how to place a bet in this beginner's guide to sports betting, unfortunately we can’t tell you how you can win every time! There are also a lot of different systems and strategies for sports betting, so it's really possible to win.
5. Tips for Sports Betting Success
There are some people out there who call themselves professional bettors, e.g. sports betting is their main source of income.
They don’t have a crystal ball, so how are they able to consistently pick winning selections?
Here’s the thing: if you are able to find value in your betting, you will stand a greater chance of being profitable in the long run.
Everyone has an idea of what ‘value’ means, whether you are buying a new house, a car, a new TV and so on. Value is defined as when the object in question is available at a price below what would be considered ‘right’.
The same is essentially true in sports betting. Where the probability of something happening is reflected by the odds, you will find value. So if you think Barcelona have a great chance of beating, say, Real Madrid, and their odds are generous enough, that is a bet you should be making.
That, ultimately, is the key of how to bet on sports successfully. Follow our beginner’s guide to sports betting and place more value bets and you should be profitable in the long run!
6. Beginner's Guide to Sports Betting - FAQ
6.1 ⚽ What is a good amount to bet?
Most experts recommend placing 1%-3% of your bankroll on each bet.
6.2 🏈 How should a beginner bet?
Beginners should start with a small and manageable budget. It is important to employ fixed wager sizes or a proportion of their bankroll, and prioritize safe gambling while learning the fundamentals of their preferred form of betting.
6.3 🎾 How do you start winning sports bets?
To begin winning sports bets, you must first research the teams or events, examine the odds, and employ smart techniques. A publication like the "Beginner's Guide to Sports Betting" can provide important insights and tips.