At the start of a European Championship or World Cup, pools are suddenly created all over the country. Everyone wants to get a preview of the scheduled matches. But why wait for such a big tournament to start? At a bookmaker you can simply bet money on sports matches all year round. This means that you can sit back and wait anxiously for each match to see what happens. It doesn’t matter which sport you prefer, either. You can bet on football, Formula 1, NBA basketball or going to the Wimbledon tennis tournament final, among others. Moreover, with each match there are many bets to choose from. Bookmakers create the perfect place for everyone who likes to bet on sports. Do you know enough about football, tennis or horse racing to go home with a nice sum of money?
The birth of the modern bookmaker
Modern bookmakers (or bookmakers, as they are also called) have their origins in Great Britain. Harry Ogden was the first to establish himself as a bookmaker in 1795. The location of his betting office was very strategically chosen: Newmarket Heath Racecourse in Suffolk. Before long, more and more horse racing fans knew how to find Ogden’s office. So it was only natural that more and more bookmakers soon joined in.
Although Harry Ogden made a significant step in the development of gambling, his idea was not entirely new. Even the ancient Romans already had a place at major sporting events where they could go to place bets. In the time of the ancient Romans and Harry Ogden, gamblers actually had to leave their homes to place their bets. That has changed since then, however. Nowadays, most people choose to bet with an online bookmaker. Online betting has its advantages. For example, you can calculate your bets in your free time and delve into statistics. With the advent of online betting, betting on sports has also become much more accessible. As a result, the group of people who occasionally place a bet is steadily growing. Globally, billions of euros are now involved in online sports betting. So you are certainly not alone when you bet with a bookmaker.
You give your prediction, the bookmaker does the rest
As a bettor, you really only have one job: to broadcast your prediction (and okay, in the process you also have to specify the bet). Bookmakers have many more tasks. First, they provide a platform where you can go for a wide variety of sporting events. They place the bets online and make sure that you bet your money in a safe environment. But of course, a good sports bet is nothing without odds. And the bookmakers are responsible for that too. Using various statistical and computational models, bookmakers try to estimate the odds. They then convert these odds into quotes. The question here is: how much is the bet worth? Bets with high odds give low odds, while low ones are good for a high number. It is up to you as the bettor to filter the perfect bet.
There is a third task that bookmakers take on. That is, they handle all the practical matters related to online betting. If you request a payout, the bookmaker arranges for the money to be in your account within a few days. And if you run into any problems, customer service will take care of them for you. So all you have to do is focus on betting. The bookmaker takes care of the rest.
Choose from a wide range of bets
In Harry Ogden’s time, betting was only on horse racing. But now the range has expanded significantly. At the average bookmaker you can bet on around twenty to thirty different sports. The most attention is paid to football. Bet on the Champions League, the European Championship, the Eredivisie or the Italian Serie A: anything is possible. Not so much a football fan? Who knows, maybe you’ll bet on tennis, darts, boxing or cycling. Even in these sports, bookmakers offer many different races and tournaments. For example, one time you can bet money on the Tour de France and the next time you can make a profit on the Monaco Grand Prix. Most bookmakers choose to offer a different range to keep every sports fan happy. However, there are also some online bookmakers that prefer to specialize in one sport. Runnerz is a good example of this. This bookmaker focuses exclusively on equestrian sports. For true horse racing enthusiasts there is a big advantage to such a specialized bookmaker. Namely, you have even more options if you want to bet.
What are the options when betting at a bookmaker?
With the growing number of players, the demand for different types of bets has become increasingly greater. As a result, for major sports events, there are often dozens of betting options to choose from. So, a 1×2 bet on football can easily be alternated with a handicap bet or a half-time/full-time bet. And instead of betting on the winner, you can bet on the tennis player who will win the first set.
Bookmakers are sensitive to the wishes of the gambler. Therefore, they do their best to keep betting as interesting as possible for every sports fan. Would you like to read the statistics in your free time and come to an informed decision? Then of course you choose a pre-match bet. Here you bet money before the match starts. Alternatively, betting companies are increasingly offering live betting. So today’s bookmakers really offer a lot of options.
Choose a reliable place for your sports betting
Once you start looking for a suitable place for your bet, you need to ask yourself a few questions. The most important one is: what am I looking for in an online bookmaker? Maybe you prefer the highest odds or maybe you prefer a betting shop that pays special attention to horse racing or Dutch football. Choosing a bookmaker is simply a very personal thing. However, there is one thing you should always check. And we are talking of course about the license.
Basically, anyone can start a sports betting website. Therefore, as a gambler, you need to be sure that you have come to a trustworthy place. Otherwise, you run the risk of not paying out your winnings or your personal data falling into the wrong hands. A license shows that the bookmaker complies with strict rules. This is because clear guidelines have been established by the government for offering (online) sports betting. Only betting companies that meet these requirements and receive approval are granted a license by the Dutch Gambling Commission. This applies, for example, to Toto and Runnerz. At these legal bookmakers, you can deposit money and place bets without any problems. As long as you do this, the Kansspelcommissie is always watching you. After all, in order to maintain this coveted license, bookmakers must constantly comply with strict rules.
How do you start betting at a bookmaker?
Betting at an online bookmaker is very simple. But you have to go through a few steps before you get to that point. Once you have found the perfect (and reliable!) bookmaker, it is time for the first step: creating an account. Online bookmakers only accept bets from players who are registered with them. Therefore, you cannot avoid creating a player account. Fortunately, such an account is created quite quickly. The registration button on the bookmaker’s website takes you straight to the appropriate registration form. The gambling company needs some personal information from you, such as your name, address and bank account number. You also need to declare that you are 18 years or older. The slogan “Play knowingly 18+” is mandatory for Dutch-licensed bookmakers for a reason.
Once you have created a player account, you can start depositing money. All bets you make are paid from the digital wallet that is linked to your account. You can replenish this digital wallet by depositing money via iDEAL or your credit card, for example. It varies depending on which payment methods are available. Are you depositing money into your account for the first time? Who knows, you might benefit from a welcome bonus. Some bookmakers will double the amount of your first deposit, so you immediately have a nice amount ready for your bets. Just make sure you meet the (often strict) conditions of this welcome bonus. There are also bookmakers that reward you in other ways for your registration. So you might just be able to test the gambling platform in your spare time with a free bet.
Once you’ve completed your registration, deposited money and redeemed any bonuses, you’re ready to do what you came for: win with your sports knowledge.