Sports Betting

Sports Betting

Sports Betting is the act of wagering an amount of money on the outcome of a sporting event. Pretty much ever since sport and competition has existed, people have been compelled to bet on its results, and sports betting can be traced as far back as 1,000 BC when the Chinese would wager on the outcomes of races between animals.

Book making really started to become big business around the 19th century, as sports, and therefore sports betting started to become a more organised business. Although gambling on sport had been popular for many years, the lack of unified leagues and establishments meant that most contests were restricted to regional or single city events, meaning people often became sceptical of the legitimacy of book makers. In earlier years, cheating and corruption was rife.

In the United Kingdom, the introduction of organisations such as the Football League and professional Rugby Union leagues helped to reduce the amount of foul play that had commonly been associated with sports gambling before. People could now bet on sport at established venues without the fear of being cheated. Places like the USA followed suit and began to unify sporting events during this time, and horse racing and baseball emerged popular with US bettors.

The invention of television played a major role in furthering the widespread popularity of sports betting, as punters no longer needed to travel great distances to witness an event. They could head down to their local bookmakers or casino, place their bet, then watch the outcome from the comfort of their own living room.

The emergence of the internet brought with it even greater possibilities for bookmakers and bettors. Initially, online betting was slow to take off as people were reluctant to give details such as credit card numbers etc. over the internet for fear of it being stolen, or for winnings not being paid out. As people have become aware of the measures taken by leading online bookmakers to ensure safety, it is now widely enjoyed freely and safely throughout the world. All transactions on sites such as Betway.com are secured with 128-bit digital certificate from Thawte, the leader in online security.

Players at Betway can bet on hundreds of markets for almost any sporting competition thinkable. Football, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Tennis, Motor Sport, Boxing and Basketball are among the most popular, and the option of live, in-play betting allows punters to bet on their favourite sports as they are being played. Money back specials, double winnings deals and other topical offers are a frequent feature to keep the online betting experience fresh and fun.