Sports betting can end up being a very lucrative hobby for several people. Whether you are just getting started because you enjoy sports, you are dipping your toe in the matched betting pool, or you are simply looking for a way to boost your income; it can be daunting when you first start.
There are several fantastic sports betting sites like 22bet which have easy to understand UI's and helpful layouts on their homepage. If you are going to get into sports betting, there are a few things you should take into consideration.
Know how much you can afford to lose
It's important to be responsible and get this out of the way first; know how much you can lose on sports bets. Even if you are using a matched betting strategy it is still better to be safe than sorry. You must understand what the conditions are of the bets you place. If you do not educate yourself you might find yourself in a situation where you have expected to be able to cash out, but you can't, and this leaves you in a sticky financial situation. Always do your reading before placing the bet.
Not all sports books are the same, and they won't all have the same odds
It may sound strange to someone who is just starting their sports betting journey, but not all sports books are obliged to give you the same odds.
You might find certain websites like 22bet give favourable odds, or even change their odds to give you favourable odds at certain times, but this does not mean other sports books will automatically do the same.
If you can't quite decide which sports book you are going to use, it would be worth picking one match or game and then seeing what the odds are on this across some different sports books.
This way you will be able to see which ones have the better odds in general, however check for any promotions that may be changing the odds for that specific event as well.
Provide required documents asap - otherwise you may not be able to withdraw
Many people starting in sports betting assume that because they have been able to deposit, they are also able to withdraw. This simply isn't the case. The due diligence process is slightly different on deposits to what it is on withdrawals.
As soon as you join a sports betting website, your first stop should be to find out which documents you need to provide to make a withdrawal.
Many forms of ID are accepted, but the large majority of sports betting sites nowadays have 24/7 customer support if you do get confused on what it is that is required of you.
There are wagering requirements on bonuses
Sports betting sites often advertise their bonuses as free bets, risk-free bets or simply an amount of cash for signing up that can be used on any of the sports on the website. If you are new to the game, you might think you can use this free bet, win, and then withdraw the money, but this isn't the case.
Bonus offers and promotions are all subject to something called a "wagering requirement". What a wagering requirement means, is the amount of times you have to wager the winnings before they are eligible for you to cash them out into your bank account.
Some sports betting sites have high bonuses but incredibly high wagering requirements, and some have lower bonuses but lower wagering requirements. They can always be found on the terms and conditions of the offer, so if you are looking for a quick turnaround then you should check these beforehand.
Be aware of betting laws
Surprisingly, there are still some countries that do not allow sports betting. You can easily check the laws of the region you are betting in online. If you are using a mirror site to access a site that is not available in your country, check the laws first as it may end up that you are unable to cash out your winnings if betting is banned in your region or country.
Know what your niche sport is
If you have started sports betting, then you more than likely have some form of interest in sports. Even if you are not the sort of person to attend horse races or go to football matches, there is probably at least one sport that you enjoy catching on tv whenever it is on.
Starting with a sport you know well gives you the advantage of understanding a bit more about what is going on. If you are going to place a bet on a sport like football, that you watch, it helps if you understand the different types of bets that can be placed.
You might have to stick with it
When you first start there could be many different factors making you lose bets. Not knowing a lot about sports in general and not knowing about sports betting websites can mean that you might end up losing a few times before you hit a win. But once you do start to get in your stride, you will probably find that you start to become more successful.
The different types of bets can be confusing initially, but once you learn them, you will be able to apply them to sports you know they will work well on. Some sports betting websites even have education centres where you can learn all about sports betting, the different types of bets and the different sports that you can bet on.
A hobby is always more rewarding if you put work into it and feel you have achieved something! If you do start to earn extra cash it is a bonus, and you can apply your methods to different sports books.