Ever since the dawn of civilization, people have loved to play games and develop sports. We can see traces of mankind’s love of games all throughout history, dating all the way from ancient times right up to the modern age. And for as long as people have been playing and watching sports, they’ve also enjoyed betting on them. There are traces of gambling going as far back as 5,000 years, with historians and experts suggesting that gambling was in existence even earlier than that, and it’s never been as possible as it is now.

With so many great sports out there and gigantic professional leagues like the NBA, NFL, and NHL dominating the sporting stage, it’s the perfect time to get in on the action. A lot of sports fans take an interest in sports betting as it allows them to enhance their excitement of keeping up with their favorite teams and leagues. A single game, even between teams you don’t usually care about, can become so much more thrilling with a little money on the line, and the internet makes it easier than ever to bet on sports whenever and wherever you like.

Getting Started

All you need to do to get started is find an online betting site you can trust, which is easy enough to do by reading reviews and comparing advantages and disadvantages, and then sign up for an account. Many of the best online betting sites even provide new users with exciting bonuses and welcome offers like deposit match deals to double your money or give you some free cash to spend on future bets. The sign up process is usually quick and easy too, all over in a matter of minutes, letting you get right to the good stuff without any waiting around.

Place Your Bets

Once your account has been made, it’s time to start placing your bets. If you’re a total newbie to the world of sports betting, the first thing to understand is how odds work. There are a few different formats of odds.

  • The American-style odds usually include a three digit number with a plus or minus symbol in front of it. The plus symbol means that if you bet $100, you win the amount listed. The minus symbol means that you need to bet the listed amount to win $100.
  • Then there are fractional odds, like 2/1 or 18/7. Basically, if you bet the amount on the bottom of the fraction, you win the amount on the top of it.
  • Finally, there are decimal odds, which show you how much your stake will be multiplied if you win. For example, decimal odds of 2.5 will mean that a stake of $10 is multiplied by 2.5 in case of a win to become $25.

Once you understand odds, betting becomes a lot simpler, and you can start exploring the different bet types. You can keep things simple by betting on the ‘moneyline’, which is just picking a winner, like picking the Patriots to win an NFL game for example. Or you can go deeper into the markets and bet on individual events, actions, or players to do certain things like an NBA player to hit a 3-point shot or an NHL team to win by a certain amount of goals. Many of the best betting sites also offer casino online action, letting you take a break from sports betting to enjoy fun casino games like video slots and blackjack. Be sure to do your research and compare options to enjoy the best betting and iGaming experiences online.