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What is Sports Betting?

Men betting on sports

Sport is something that has brought people together since we first started doing it. Athletes and teams show their competitive side on the pitch, the court, the field, or the ring. We all have that competitive side, even those of us who sit on the stands or are glued to our screens when the game is on. Betting on sport is how we get competitive off the pitch, where we stand a chance to win both money and bragging rights. So, what is sports betting? What sports can you bet on online? What different types of sports bets do you get? We’re taking a closer look at the sports betting world below:

Sports betting definition

Wikipedia defines sports betting as “the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.” Sports betting isn’t limited to sports, however. Avid punters go head to head betting on all sorts of competitive events. These include reality TV shows, political elections, and even events like the Grammy Awards and the Oscars.

What is a sports betting agency?

IDSCA defines a sports betting agency as, “a person, office, or organization specialized in offering high-quality services in the sports betting industry.” In other words, sports betting agents help you access the sports betting platforms you need to start placing bets on sports outcomes. They make the whole process easier, and this has really taken off thanks to the rise of online sports betting agencies.

What sports can you bet on online?

The internet has given everyone on earth the opportunity to watch every match, every game, every fixture, live and in HD. You can literally bet on any sport in existence online. If you can think of the sport, chances are there’s a sports betting agency that lets you bet on it. On the Bet.co.za online sports betting platform, the list of sports you can bet on is quite long:

Different types of sports bets

Point spread

Also called ‘betting the spread’, point spread betting (or handicap betting) is a sports betting market where teams have to win by a certain number of points, or not lose by a certain amount of points. For example, a +2 favourite means that team is likely to beat the other team by a margin of 2 points.

Multi Bet Parlays

A multi bet or a parlay sports bet is a high risk, high reward sort of bet. It involves multiple bets that will reward bettors with bigger payouts – but only if all bets in the parlay win. A parlay of bets starts at a minimum of two, but can increase to whatever number the betting agent is happy with. A parlay of underdogs is more risky, and will pay out more than a parlay of favourites.

Proposition bets 

When we’re not betting on the overall outcomes of sports events, we’re talking about proposition bets. These are wagers relating to specific outcomes, often involving team or individual player statistics. For example, bettors can predict the number of goals a specific soccer player will score in a match, or the number of yards a player will gain in an American football encounter.

In-game betting

This form of sports betting, often called in-play betting or live betting, is a relatively new way of betting on sports. Appearing in the 1990s, first practiced over the telephone, sports betting agents would accept bets from bettors while the sports encounters were taking place. Today, these in-game bets are made instantly via online sports betting platforms like Bet.co.za.

Join Bet.co.za

Next to watching sports live, sports betting is the most sports excitement you can have when the game is on. Never bet online before? Don’t worry – we make the process super simple! Follow these instructions to join Bet.co.za now:

  1. Go to www.bet.co.za and click on the “Join Now” button in the top-right corner.
  2. Fill in a short online form.
  3. Confirm your email address.

A Bet.co.za account gets you access to our almost endless resources and helpful guides. Ready to learn the basics and forge a successful sports betting career for yourself? Get registered and start your journey today!

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