Home of football statistics and historyGoing down to the betting shop to place a bet on a football match or a horse race used to be a central facet of British gambling culture. Betting shops were social locations where betting fans could gather, share tips, and celebrate (or rage) as the results rolled in.
As more elements of our lives have moved online, it makes sense that betting would soon join them. If shopping, watching films, gaming and working can all be done online, why not betting on your favourite team?
Nowadays, there are a number of different ways that you can bet on your favourite team — from the traditional to the ultramodern. This article will provide a run-down of those options and the positives and negatives that each one has to offer.
Betting online
Online sportsbooks are a great way to place bets on your favourite team. Whether it’s an EPL star like Liverpool or a small town club like the Forest Green Rovers, finding odds and placing bets is easy to do online.
Another positive about placing your bets online is that there are a variety of different payment methods accepted. This makes it an easy process that is accessible to everyone. The newest payment methods don’t even require you to have a traditional bank account.
Many online sportsbooks accept payments made with debit cards, prepaid cards and digital wallets. Digital wallets can save you a lot of hassle and erase the risk of losing your card when you’re out and about. Some of the most tech-savvy sportsbooks even accept cryptocurrency payments.
One of the newest and easiest ways to place bets is with pay by phone. Unlike most methods that require you to use a debit card or a digital wallet, pay by phone adds the deposit or bet you’ve placed to your phone bill.
If you have a monthly plan, the payment will be added to your next bill. If you use a pay as you go plan, it will simply be deducted from your current balance. This also makes it easy to keep track of your spending, as you can see your bets itemised on your bill.
As for the pros and cons of betting online, it generally makes the most sense. It is the fastest and most convenient method. As long as you have an internet connection, you have instant access to a ton of different sportsbooks, live odds and your bets.
On your mobile phone, you have all the statistical information you could ever imagine at your fingertips. If you wanted you could even compare something as niche as the relationship between player wins and boot brands in order to make sure your bet was as well informed as possible!
Going to a betting shop
There’s a reason that betting shops have survived as long as they have. There’s something special about the camaraderie of being around other sports bettors. Where else can you share tips and insider info with fellow bettors? Where else can you discuss odds and overs and unders?
Even with the ongoing slow death of the British high street, betting shops are holding on in most cities and towns. Why not show them some support by stopping in to place a bet? You never know, you just might get the inside scoop on a match favourite.
Of course, just as with all brick and mortar businesses, going to place a bet in person does involve a bit more hassle than staying in and doing it online. For starters, you have to actually put on real clothes and shoes — something many of us have given up on since the work from home boom.
Visiting a casino
Betting at a casino is more of an American tradition than a British one. This is because in many states, casinos were historically the only places where it was legal to place a bet. In the UK, betting shops are usually a more convenient option, but don’t rule out casinos.
One of the best parts about placing a bet at a land-based casino is that they usually have big screen monitors that you can watch the match on. If there’s an attached sports bar that’s even better, you can have a pint and watch the match with likeminded bettors.
You could also make a day of it. It can be a bit of a change to get dressed up with your mates like high rollers and spend a few hours at a casino gambling and placing bets. This can, however, get expensive, so keep that in mind when making plans. No matter how you do it, betting on your favourite team is a great way to feel more connected with the action on the pitch. It also adds an extra layer of excitement to matches where your team isn’t playing
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