What is it?
As the name suggest sports betting simply involves predicting the outcome of a sporting event, or event within the event, and wagering money in an attempt to earn a profitable return.
Bets are placed with a bookmaker, otherwise known as a sportsbook, based on a set of odds which reflect the potential return for the amount of money risked.
For example a bettor may place $50 on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win outright against the Baltimore Ravens at odds of +130. In this case they are risking $50 to win a profit of $65 and a total collect of $115. If the Steelers win the bettor gets paid although the trade off is if the Steelers get beaten the entire $50 wagered is lost.
Don’t worry if all that seems confusing we will talk more about odds and how to read them later.
A successful sports bettor will make many bets and over time and win at a rate that yields them an overall profit. Some bets will win, some will lose but overall their wins outweigh their losses and a profit is made.
Many bettors fail to reach this win rate and as a result lose money in the long run. In this case it’s the sportsbooks who make the profit.
Sports Betting is a highly volatile, exciting ride that keeps all bettors on their toes. The only certainty in sports betting is that there are no certainties!
When Can I Bet on Sports?
Literally anywhere!
Sports betting, like so many parts of our society, is now accessible 24/7 365 days a year via online mobile apps. You can be placing a bet while on the train to work, while laying in bed, watching TV or basically anywhere you have a cell connection. It is quick, easy and the choices are endless!
Sports betting is the hobby that never sleeps. Sports are truly global and that means at any hour of the day there is sport happening somewhere on the little rock we call Earth. If sports is being played then you can bet your bottom dollar sportsbooks are looking to take action on it!
In fact because sports betting is a never ending beast, a very small percentage of people have made it their profession. Before you start thinking about quitting your day job, just know that winning consistently betting on sport is tougher than separating JJ Watt from a 2 pound texas grilled steak!
Traditionally sports betting took place in Casino or as many would believe in dark alleys with the exchange of brown paper bags. While that may not be entirely true it was limited by the laws of the land. In 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned some old legislation that had prevented states outside of Nevada from legally allowing sports betting to occur. Since that day the roll out across continental USA has begun with states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Iowa leading the charge.
Keep your eye locked firmly on School Of Bets because if it hasn’t already, sports betting is coming to your backyard very soon!
Where Can I Bet on Sports?
The answer is simple, on your phone!
Sports betting is totally mobile. The idea that you need to drive down to a Casino sportsbook to place a bet is simply wrong. As states jump on board the sports betting train, they are quickly realizing that the only way the vast majority of bettors want to bet is on their mobile device while they go about their daily business. The numbers don’t lie.
There are plenty of players in the mobile and online betting space. While there is varying levels of user experience and usability with each of the apps the power is definitely in the hands of you the consumer.
Here are some of the options that you should consider:
| Sportsbook | Who Are They? | Sign Up Bonus |
PointsBet | Established in Australia. They have brought their best in business mobile platform to the US and are setting the place a light. Unquestionably they offer the best promotions in the industry. It is difficult to go past PointsBet your preferred mobile sportsbook. |  |
DraftKings | DraftKings made the successful jump from Daily Fantasy provider to sportsbook as soon as New Jersey regulated sports betting. One of the leading sportsbooks in the marketplace. Great user experience and a ton of useful market analysis tools. Their live betting platform is excellent. | Coming Soon! |
Fanduel | This is one of the most prominent sportsbooks in the US market. The app is slick, offers excellent user experience and is constantly being developed to improve the product. | Coming Soon! |
FOXBet | Perhaps the most exciting addition to the US mobile sports betting market. Coming together of one of the worlds biggest sports media companies and the largest online gambling company on the planet. | Coming Soon! |
How Do I Bet on Sports?
Placing a bet on a mobile sportsbook app is quite simple ands so it should be. Your energy needs to be invested into finding the right market to wager on and not be overcoming the hassle of actually placing the bet.
Getting Started
This will require a small amount of setup. You will need to download the app of your choice, deposit money learn a little bit about the available markets to bet on.
Here are five simple steps to get you up and betting in no time:
- Download an App and Get a Sign-Up Bonus.
Grab a promotion from School Of Bets by clicking on any of the sportsbook banners you see on the site. This will not only take you to the download and sign up page but automatically load you up with a sign-up bonus.
You may as well start your sports betting career with some free money!
2. Create An Account
You will need to enter all your basic details such as name, email and physical address. In the US, you are required to enter your social security number to help with the identification process.
You may be required to take a photo of your state issued driver’s license and send that through via the app to finalise the identity verification process. This whole process can be completed in just minutes!
You personal information is secure and will not be shared with any other parties.
3. Deposit Money and Start Betting!
The sportsbooks you will find on offer here at School Of Bets have a variety of safe and secure ways to deposit money into your new account. Expect all the usual suspects such as bank transfer, e-checks, credit card transactions, paynearme, deposit in person and PayPal.
Finding a market to bet on is quite simple. Perhaps you have a favorite sport you wish to target or maybe you just want to get into the game as quickly as possible. Either way you can check out all the markets by navigating from the home page using the simple to use featured sports menu or alternatively you can jump on the ‘upcoming sports’ menu to see what sports are about to start.
What Else Do I need to Know?
You are only just beginning and there really is plenty more to learn. This doesn’t mean you should not begin!
Here are some of the other things you will need to pick up along the way:
The Odds?
School Of Bets has you covered with a simple to read guide on how to read sports odds. While they can be confusing at first this article will cut through the confusion and get you schooled on the fine art of reading the odds in no time!
Bankroll
All bettors whether just starting out or season veterans need to understand how to manage their money. Bankroll strategy is one the most important lesson to be learned.
Luckily for you School Of Bets has broken down simple bankroll strategy for all beginning bettors right here. Do yourself a favor and learn the basics on how to protect your stack and make it grow!
Bet Types
Once you have spent some time checking out the sportsbooks you will realise there is an astonishing number of markets available to bet on. This can be daunting for any beginning sports bettor. There are four main bet types you should get your head around:
Click on the Link to read the full article.
| Moneyline | The moneyline represents the odds for a team to win the match outright. The odds are fixed for the bettor at the time the bet is placed. If the team wagered on loses, so too does the bet. This is one of the most popular forms of betting due to simplicity. Moneyline odds are also referred to as American. |
| Point Spread | Sometimes referred to as the handicap, equalizer or line, the point spread is a popular style of sports betting where bettors make a selection based on a predetermined points handicap. For example in the NFL a team may be deemed a 3.5 point favorite (written as -3.5). This means for the bet to pay they must win by 4 or more points. Typically point spread odds are around -110. |
| Over/Under Totals | Over Under Betting is a market that usually relates to the total points scored in a game. Sportsbooks set a number, called the line, and bettors wager on whether the total game points will finish over or under that figure. The Over Under market can also be offered on other measurable in-game statistics such as passing yards or assist and rebounds. |
| Parlay | A parlay is a bet type comprising of two or more wager legs. The decimal odds of each individual wager are then multiplied to give you the final parlay odds. All wager legs must win for the parlay to be paid out. A parlay bet can also be referred to as a combo, all up, multi or accumulator bet. |
How to Break a Losing Streak
If you bet on sports for any length of time you will inevitably run into winning and losing streaks. It happens. Obviously when your winning don;t change a thing, just keep rolling on. But what do you do when it seems like every bet you place gets beaten?
School of Bets has some big time strategies that you can use to break that losing streak. Check it out and get back in the winners circle sooner rather than later.
Keep Learning!
Finally as your sports betting journey develops, commit to a continual learning process. A growth mindset. You won’t know everything immediately but you can keep learning.
A great place to start is at the School of Bets YouTube Channel where there is a library of onpoint videos to help you tackle the challenge of sports betting!
The Game Starts Now!
You are all set. Your sports betting journey can begin now!
Good luck and as always Gamble Responsibly!