The UK has long since been the home of sports betting, and this is reflected in a flourishing and expansive industry. With a wealth of offers and promotions available to punters today, sports betting fans are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing where and how to place a bet.
Officially licensed by legislation nearly 60 years ago, sports betting is now a legitimate hobby enjoyed by legions of Brits, and, as the most popular sport in the country, football is by far the most popular market for sports betting. This popularity has continued to soar in recent years thanks to the dazard casino promo code and with the almost endless stream of football broadcast today, it’s no wonder that football betting continues to find new fans.
So, if you’re interested in getting involved in this exciting side of the beautiful game, check out our handy guide below.
Betting basics
If you’re truly a betting novice, then you may appreciate a brief rundown of what betting is and how it works.
Bookmakers, who are licensed bet providers and companies, set odds against a particular event, which reflects the bookmaker’s professional opinion of the likelihood of such an event occurring. For example, if Team A (i.e. Liverpool) where to play Team B (i.e. Arsenal) , then a bookmaker, or “bookie” may set their odds on Team A (Liverpool) to win at 2/1.
This means that if you wager a tenner on Liverpool to win at the bookie’s selected odds of 2/1, then you will receive £20 should your bet come off. Of course, if Liverpool were to draw or lose, then the bookie would keep your wager.
How do I get involved?
As long as you’re over 18 in the UK, then you’re free to explore the wide and diverse market of British sports betting, and you therefore have a myriad of options on where and how to place your bet.
You may have seen some brick and mortar bookmakers already on your local high streets, and many of these companies are household names which have been around for decades. Traditionally, a punter would head into their local bookie and place a bet at the counter, and be issued with a slip of paper containing the bet details. Bookmakers are a friendly bunch, and are more than happy to assist with any questions.
However, sports bet bookies have been one of the most welcoming of industries to the rise of technology over the last few years, and therefore most of the larger chains offer quality websites and apps, allowing players to access new and updated markets almost instantly, 24 hours a day.
Bet Types & Promotions
If you’re into your football, then you’ll only be too aware what an exciting and ever changing game it is, where pretty much anything is possible. Bookies know this as well, and therefore there’s a huge range of different bet types to select.
A match bet on the outright winnner is the most popular type, where you wager on how you think a particular game will finish, e.g. in a win for Team A or a loss for Team B. Given the simplicity of this option, it is the most popular bet type on football.
You can also wager on goals, cards and corners, and the performance of your favourite player, if you want to back them to score the last goal for example. As these events are typically harder to predict, higher odds are usually given by bookies.
Another popular bet type is an accumulator, where you bet on multiple games or events, and if you’re lucky, these will all come in as predicted, and you will therefore win a tidy sum.
In terms of offers and promotions, given how competitive the market has become bookmakers release a plethora of new promotions seemingly each month in a bid to attract new customers. Free bets are probably the most renowned offer and with this type of promotion you don’t have to wager with any of your own cash. There are three main types of free bets football offers, including free bets no deposit, but you’ll also find other offers such as enhanced odds which remain extremely popular with punters.
How do I stay safe?
As we’ve said, sports betting is fully legal and regulated in the UK by multiple pieces of legislation. However some potential punters may hold some perfectly understandable reservations about the world of sports betting.
Make sure you always choose a reputable and legally licensed bookmaker to stay on the right side of the law and avoid being ripped off. Bookies also frequently run awareness campaigns to ensure that betting remains a fun hobby, and doesn’t become overwhelming.
With the millions of people who continue to enjoy betting in Britain today, it’s clear that the UK is a great place for football betting.