Whether you are a complete betting novice or are simply new to the world of online betting, there is a lot for you to learn in our online betting guide if you want to master the art of wagering online.
Betting online for the first time can be daunting, even if you’re used to in-person betting. For example, there’s plenty of terms or bet types which you may not be familiar with. The good news is you’ll find everything you need to know about betting online here, from how to get started to the different types of bets and beyond.
The basic process for placing a sports bet online is fairly simple. You decide what bet you want to place and how much you want to stake. If you win, the bookmaker in question pays out the appropriate odds, and if you lose, they keep your stake.
Before you can place a bet online, you’ll need an account and to make a deposit. To set up an account, you’ll need to give:
You can bet on a wide range of sports online, including baseball, basketball, boxing, cricket, football, golf, horse racing, mixed martial arts, and tennis, as well as esports (electronic sports), which is a form of competitive video gaming.
It is worth knowing that most online betting sites have minimum and maximum wagering requirements that you need to adhere to.
If you have ever visited an online betting site or read any online betting guides, you will know only too well how many different types of bets are available. While this can be intimidating for a betting novice, you may be surprised at just how quickly you will pick everything up.
In terms of bets, there are many different types for you to try. Some of the most popular types of bets are:
You can find out more about all the different types of bets in our sport-specific betting guides, which provide all the information you need to navigate and enjoy the world of online gambling.
When betting on sports, the most important thing is to stay in control. To ensure that you enjoy your online betting experience and only gamble responsibly, you need to figure out how much you are willing to spend.
Known as betting bankroll management, this determines how much you spend on betting overall as well as how much you intend to spend per bet. Although managing your bankroll predominantly comes down to personal circumstances, on average, bettors tend to spend between 1-2% of their bankroll on each wager.
When deciding how much money you want to assign to gambling online and how much you want to wager on each bet, it is important to look at how much you can afford to lose, as well as your level of risk tolerance. For example, if you are risk-averse, you may only want to wager 1% of your bankroll per bet. However, if you like taking risks, you may want to wager as much as 5%.
Remember, if you ever start to feel out of control when gambling, take a break and seek help if you feel like you need it.
The good news is that placing bets is fairly similar across sports. This means that once you learn how to place bets in one sport, you’ll be ready to dive into sports betting in other categories as well.
That being said, there are still going to be some slight variations. Here’s a quick overview of how your betting strategy will change per sport:
| Sport | Bet Types | Key Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Football | Point spread, prop, futures, parlay and moneyline | Quarterback performance and defensive strength play a significant role in determining outcomes. |
| Basketball | Point spread, totals, parlay, teaser and moneyline | Individual player performance, especially star players, can significantly impact outcomes. Home-court advantage is often also a factor. |
| Baseball | Run line, totals, moneyline, parlay, and prop | Pitching matchups, offensive production and scoring trends can influence betting strategies. |
| Soccer | Prop, goal line, halftime/fulltime, parlay, over/under, accumulator and moneyline | Draws are a frequent outcome in soccer, so betting on specific outcomes can be challenging. Defensive tactics and game strategies also significantly impact scoring opportunities. |
| Golf | Tournament bets (winner, top1/10/20, make the cut), round bets (head-to-head, group winner, round leader) and prop bets (hole-in-one, eagle, birdie) | Player form and course history are crucial factors to consider. Weather conditions can also significantly affect player performance and outcomes. |
| Horse Racing | Win, place, and show bets | Post position can influence a horse’s chances of winning. Jockey experience and recent performance are also important factors to consider. |
Sports betting can be a lot of fun, but only if you understand the risks involved and take the time to develop an online sports betting strategy. As part of our guide to betting, we have collated a list of top tips and techniques for betting beginners so that you can get off to the best start and maximise your enjoyment.
When you first start betting online, you may be tempted to place as many bets as possible, especially if you are enjoying the thrill of the betting experience. However, it is a much better idea to be selective with your bets, as this can help you to determine where your talents lay.
Before placing a bet, you should always try to find the best odds and lines available on that day, as this will help you maximise your returns (though of course nothing is ever guaranteed when betting). Make sure you look at their opening lines, mid-week lines, end-of-the-week lines, and last-minute lines.
Before placing a bet, you must make sure you are aware of any player injuries, as this can have a significant effect on the outcome of a game. Weather is another factor to consider when betting on any sport that is played outside.
When it comes to betting trends, these can be useful when you are starting out, but you should not rely on them too much. As a general rule, the best betting trends are built over the long term, as these are backed by narrative.
There are lots of different betting platforms available, depending on what region you live in. Rather than just pick the first site that you come across, you should take the time to research online betting sites so that you can be sure you get the fairest odds and best deals.
When you first start to explore online betting and read betting guides, you can be forgiven for feeling more than a bit confused with all the industry jargon. If this is the case for you, the below common betting terms and their meanings are just what you need.
Now that you have read our guide to betting online, you should be feeling better informed about the world of online betting and feel ready to dip your toes in the water and place your first bet. The next step is to choose your preferred online gambling platform and place your first bet.
There is no guaranteed way to win big when betting. The best way to bet, then, needs to start by working out what your budget is in advance. If you can comfortably lose that amount, then you can confidently place bets. From there, you can increase your chances of winning a bet by delving deep into everything there is to know about the sport, the latest news about the teams, and even how odds are determined, as these factors will influence your betting choices.
Yes, you can usually select what format you want to see the odds in when betting online. This way, you can swap the formatting to your preferred option. Most of the big brands offer this feature in your account’s preferences settings.
You can’t outsmart betting sites. However, to get the most value, place your bets as early in the day as possible. The longer you wait to place a bet, the more information the bookmaker will have, giving them an advantage. Also, check out our expert betting guides.
In some cases you can edit a bet but this feature is not widely available across the industry. One way to do this could be to cash out your original bet and re-do it with the update you wish to place.
Parlay and accumulator bets are the hardest wagers to win, since they’re a collection of several bets put into one. This means all those bets must win for you to win the parlay.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
