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How to bet online: A guide to wagering with online bookmakers
Sports betting is an ever-growing industry in the United Kingdom as customers now bet online in their droves.
Betting sites provide up-to-date data tracking a wide variety of sports which is available to consumers and also try to create the best possible experience with easy to navigate websites and a heap of promotions and offers to keep their customers engaged.
At first, signing up for a online bookmaker may seem a tad overwhelming with odds, adverts, markets and a whole manner of different aspects thrown at you once you click on their website.
Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about online sports betting, from signing up, understanding odds and how to place a bet online with safe and legal bookmakers.
To find out more about gambling responsibly please scroll a little further down the page.
Registering with an online bookmaker
Firstly do your research into the type of experience you want to get out of your online bookmaker. There a lot of options in the UK from established operators to new betting sites, with many specialising in specific sports like football or horse racing.
Keep in mind what betting sites are offering as a sign up bonus as many, if not all, will have some sort of promotion running to entice new customers. These usually include free bets and maximising your rewards will make the process more appealing.
Here is a typical guide on how to sign up for a betting site online:
Choose your online betting site, available through any of the links on this page, and click the register or sign up button.
Enter your personal details such as your full name, email address, and place of residence. You will be asked to create a username and password as well.
Thoroughly read through and accept the main terms and conditions making sure you understand your rights and how the betting company works.
Depending on the bookmaker you may be asked verify your identity by sending over specific documentation. This process can take up to two days and if you are not asked to verify your identity at this point you may be asked to do so when depositing or withdrawing funds.
Make a deposit using the payment method that suits you. Debit cards and e-wallet payments like PayPal are common methods. When depositing money into your account you may need to deposit a certain amount of funds to unlock any welcome bonuses, and methods such as e-wallets may be exclused from sign up bonuses.
Start placing bets including any qualifying bets for the sign up offer.
Understanding betting odds
When first stepping into the online sports betting world the vast number of betting odds can be an overwhelming situation. We’ve broken down the most common in a betting odds explained article which can be found here.
Betting on horse racing online
Placing a bet on horse racing is one of the easiest options available after creating an online betting account at one of the best horse racing betting sites on the market.
Once you are registered find the relevant horse racing section select a race, and place a bet on the horse that you think will win.
Single to win bets are the simplest to understand as you are just backing who you think will win but there are many options such as each way bets, forecasts and combinations all of which are explained in our how to bet on horse racing article.
Our guide details all you need to know about punting on the horses, including how to bet on the Grand National.
Major horse racing events include the Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and the Grand National with bookmakers usually running promotions and special offers around the time these meetings take place.
How to bet on football online
Betting on football is a huge market with plentiful options and variety in what type of bet to place. The best football betting sites have a wealth of betting options and competitive odds along with exciting promotions based around the sport.
Similarly to horse racing just select the football section of the bookmakers website then find the match you want to place a wager on. Pick one of the available markets then place your bet.
Ante post betting, also known as football outrights, are wagers placed on the outcome of a league or tournament before it begins while match betting is placing wagers on specific matches.
Football comes with different betting markets with many of them being wildly popular. Here are some of most popular options:
Full-time result — A simple bet on the result of the game. Choose from either a home/away win or a draw.
Correct score — Place a bet on the score of the game. If your prediction is correct, you’ll win your bet.
Half time/full time — Select which side will the first half and then the full-time result.
Over/under — Guess whether a value of match event will be over or under the number selected by the bookie.
Betting on football is also popular in other ways with the bet builder and accummulator both yielded potentially bigger returns.
A bet builder is a collection of odds and selections from a single football match all compiled into one bigger bet while the accummulator combines several bets into one multi-bet.
Betting on sports online
Other sports are available to bet online with two of the most popular options, outside of horse racing and football, being golf and tennis.
Promotions and offers for these sports tend to appear when big events like the Masters or Wimbledon are taking place and to bet on them is simply a matter of following the same rules as above.
Find the golf, tennis or other sport section on the bookmakers website, pick out the most favourable market and odds then place your bet.
In-play betting
In-play betting has rocketed in popularity in this era of live streaming, allowing customers to place bets online while an event is occuring.
The best in-play betting sites will offer various in-play betting markets, usually the same number as you’ll find pre-match. The odds will be different to pre-event prices, providing users the chance to find value on the market.
In-play betting allows users to adapt to situations as they develop in the selected event. The volatility which creates odds movements in-play can also be negotiated by different betting strategies.
Features such as cash out and bet builder give customers an additional level of control throughout a match or event and with live data like statistics and head-to-head results easily available the ability to change your mind, and your bet, is one customers are taking advantage of.
Popular online betting offers
Online betting is popular due to the plethora of offers and promotions that betting sites regularly run.
Sign up and welcome offers almost always reward customers with free bets (though they come with stipulations and restrictions such as where and how much you can bet at a time).
Free bets continue as an existing customer. These are often presented as bet and get offers, where a customer must place a qualifying wager on an event to unlock their free bet.
Enhanced odds are a favoured promotion of good bookmakers especially when it comes to high profile football games in the Premier League but money-back specials, extra places in horse racing and best odds guaranteed are also beneficial to customers.
Profit boosts are common on accumulator and bet builder bets. This promotion offers a boost on your potential payout depending on the number of legs of your wager if your bet is successful.
Betting sites that generate the most users have a continuous selection of different promotions to maintain the interest of their customers.
Online betting vs betting in shops
Online betting is a fast eclipsing the traditional method of heading to a betting shop in high street.
The most noticeable advantage is that you can place bets online from any location with an active internet or data connection. So, you don’t have to travel to the betting shop to lodge your wagers, saving valuable time and making the practice all the more convenient.
There are plenty of other advantages to online sports betting via betting sites or betting apps.
These include different payment options including e-wallet methods like Skrill and PayPal though the more old-school customer has the benefit of paying cash in a shop.
PayPal betting sites permit deposits at a touch of a button and also offer lower deposit amounts than other methods.
There is greater flexibility using online bookmakers with the ability to access in-play betting options, loyalty schemes and rewards. They also provide betting apps, constant promotions and offers to keep you engaged.
The cash out function is perhaps the most useful and innonative function developed for online betting. This gives users the opportunity to collect a partial winnings on their bets during a match or event.
Live streaming has taken online sports betting to another level, allowing customers to watch events as they happen. The best live streaming sites have a variety of options, including football, horse racing, cricket, tennis, golf and more.
Taking convenience one step further and bookmakers are now providing easy-to-use apps which can be downloaded to your phone and linked to Apple or Google Pay.
Betting through an app is a rising trend which offers the same advantages as a betting website but in the palm of your hand.
Pros of online betting vs betting shops | Cons of online betting vs betting shops |
Online betting sites offer constant promotions and offers to keep customers engaged | Can lose track of spending unless sticking to tight budgets (bookmakers have tools to make this easier) |
Ease of use and convenience of being able to place a bet at home | Can pay for bets in cash at betting shops but not online |
Greater flexibility with in-play options such as cash out | Slower payouts |
Remember to gamble responsibly
Customers must ensure they follow responsible gambling practices from the second they sign up for a bookmaker online. Even if you’re knowledgeable about sport, anyone can still lose bets.
Betting is not a way to make money online and should only ever be considered a form of entertainment. Customers should always remain in control of their budget and never chase losses.
Stick to a budget and only place a stake that you’re comfortable losing. The same applies whether you’re using betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, poker sites or any other form of gambling. It’s particularly important not to get carried away by free bet offers or casino offers, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are multiple charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:
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