| My experiences with sports betting are | | | | would involve a simple reversal of the |
| somewhat limited, but I discovered that it | | | | winning odds. If you're up for a bigger |
| was something I could get used to: a | | | | challenge, there's also spread betting; |
| point-to-point horse race in a local town on | | | | betting sites offer lots of information on |
| a cold spring morning, gave me a taste for | | | | what this entails. |
| the sport as a spectator and to get involved | | | | |
| in sports betting. But I found that somehow I | | | | A number of bookmakers now offer incentives |
| need to overcome my natural instinct to | | | | for opening an online account with them. |
| support the underdog. At least in | | | | |
| point-to-point, it's extremely likely that | | | | Since it's the beginning of the UK sports |
| the favourite will win. | | | | season, this is a good time to make the most |
| | | | of their sports betting offers: Premier |
| There are three main types of bet in sports | | | | League Snooker, Premiership football , the |
| betting , the simplest being my earlier | | | | Women's World Cup football and the Rugby |
| attempts with the single 'win only' bet. If | | | | Union World Cup are all either under way or |
| your selection wins, you receive your stake | | | | about to begin, so there's plenty to choose |
| back plus the same amount multiplied by the | | | | from. For each event, the stakes vary |
| odds that you were offered (which would | | | | considerably, and will continue to change |
| normally be expressed as a fraction) but | | | | right up to (and during)the match, so it's |
| there are a huge variety of bet types, and | | | | worth keeping an eye out as to what's on |
| sporting events, that you can choose from. | | | | offer. |
| | | | |
| If at the start of a new season, you want to | | | | One mayor betting company, for instance, will |
| make a bet based on a combination of | | | | give you ten pounds for opening an account |
| different types of event, 'doubles' or | | | | with a minum stake of ten pounds. The bonus |
| 'trebles' or even 'accumulators' would be the | | | | must then be used in a 'Win Only Single' bet |
| bets for you. A double in sports betting | | | | within a week of it entering your online |
| would involve, for example, the combined odds | | | | sports betting account (which would happen |
| of Colchester United winning the English | | | | once you'd staked your own balance). |
| Championship and Ronnie O'Sullivan winning | | | | |
| the Snooker Premiership, the odds for each | | | | This would mean, for instance, that you could |
| being obtained by multiplying the single odds | | | | decide to throw caution to the wind, and put |
| (adding Colchester United win would make the | | | | your 10 pounds on Colchester to win the |
| outcome significantly more unlikely). | | | | English Championship, at oddsof 80-1. You |
| | | | couldn't, however, add any further credit to |
| An 'either way' bet in sports betting | | | | this amount but you could also use it on any |
| involves a combination of possible outcomes: | | | | 'outright' or 'match only' bet in any UK |
| for a horse race you could bet on your | | | | sporting event. |
| favourite coming first, second or third, and | | | | |
| this would be a combination of a 'winning' | | | | Another company has a similar offer for |
| bet plus a 'place bet' for coming first, | | | | registering on their sports betting website, |
| second or third (so you'd pay for two bets). | | | | except you can bet less than 10 GBP, and have |
| The odds offered for a place would be lower | | | | that amount matched as your bonus. Other |
| than the odds of your horse winning; normally | | | | companies offer free bets of up to 25 pounds |
| around a quarter (which would be advertised | | | | when you register with them: similar |
| as 'each way, 1,2,3'). | | | | restrictions apply, although some don't seem |
| | | | to have time limits on when you take the |
| So if your horse came first, you'd receive a | | | | offer up. |
| combination of the winnings for coming first | | | | |
| and those for gaining a 'place'. Either way | | | | Like all things in life, you can have too |
| bets vary in the rank that counts as getting | | | | much of a good thing, so perhaps I'll need to |
| 'a place' (normally it stretches as far as | | | | exerpt a degree of caution in using my |
| 3rd place, but if 4th place counted it would | | | | new-found sports betting knowledge. However, |
| be listed as 'each way quarter 1,2,3,4'). | | | | I fully intend to make the most of these |
| | | | introductory offers to find out if I have |
| In this area of sports betting, you can also | | | | 'beginners luck'. |
| bet on a horse, or player, losing, which | | | | |