Betting and sports – what you need to know

Last year sports betting, which was once illegal and frowned upon, was legalised in certain US states by the Supreme Court. The landmark ruling opened the door for millions of sports fans to enter the betting market for the first time on trusted sites like Caesars Casino & Sports. If you’re keen to dip your toe into the exciting world of sports betting, don’t jump the gun – to get you started, here’s what you need to know about betting and sports.

Where is it legal?

Currently, sports fans are legally allowed to bet on sporting events in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia and Mississippi. Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Mexico aren’t expected to be too far behind. And, if Jake Williams, Sportradar Group’s vice president of legal and regulatory affairs, is to be believed – a further dozen US states could legalise sports betting in 2019, and up to eight of these could already be in operation by the start of the 2019 football season in September. The states currently looking most likely to legalise things in the not too distant future include, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Oregon.

What sports can you bet on?

In the states where it is legal, it’s possible to place a wager on American football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf and tennis. Boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) are also included.

How does it work?

Very simply – you bet on whatever outcome you think is most likely. If your prediction is correct, you win. You can bet on who will win, who will score first or what round a fight might end in. The good thing about sports betting is that getting started is straight-forward – you don’t need necessarily need much background knowledge to begin…although we highly recommend learning the ropes to be in with the best chance of victory. Speaking of which…

Knowing your stuff

If you want to become a master at sports betting and up your chances of winning big, it’s important to do a little background reading on how things work. Fortunately, there is a lot of material out there designed to explain every last detail of successful sports betting. We highly recommend educating yourself on how things work for the best chance of success.

Be safe

Watching our favourite sports teams can already be an emotional rollercoaster, even when we haven’t got money riding on the result. Therefore, it’s important to understand that every time you bet on sport, your money (and your emotions) are at risk. While educating yourself on how sports betting works, take some time to remind yourself of the risks as well as the rewards of gambling. Always exercise caution. Sure, sports betting can win you money, but – as with all gambling – you’re more likely to lose. The flipside of it being highly exciting, is huge frustration and even anger. Only ever gamble with money you can afford to lose from a specifically set aside budget. Remember, gambling is addictive – it’s important to form healthy betting habits.