Plenty of sports fans want to add to the experience by placing a bet - but how do you do it? In this sports betting 101 guide, I’ll tell you what you need to know to avoid rookie errors.
After all, betting for beginners can be a real minefield if you don’t know what you are doing, so I’ll go through the basics so you don’t have to learn the hard way. I’ll start with bet types, go on to the mechanics of placing a bet and the tips for staying safe while you do.
This is sports betting 101, so I’ll start my betting guide right at the beginning. Sports betting involves placing a wager on the outcome of a sporting event. The person placing a bet, known as a bettor, tries to predict a result, be it an event during the game or the result of the game itself to potentially win at odds set by the sportsbook site. There are plenty of of ways to do this, so I’ll take you through some of the more popular bets
| Bet type | Notes |
|---|---|
| Straight (1X2 or moneyline) Bets | These are known by slightly different names depending on where in the world you are and are the simplest form of betting. You pick who will win the event – player, team etc. |
| Accumulators or Parlays | This is a combination of bets placed as a single wager. All bets must win for the sportsbook to pay out at cumulative odds |
| Over/Under Bets | Used for points scored in a game, either total or by one participant. Usually expressed as 2.5 or 4.5 for example, as you can’t score half a goal |
| Prop Bets | Bets on events within a game, such as who the first goalscorer might be in soccer, or who might be first to get a yellow card |
| Overalls (Future Bets) | Long term bets on the outcome of a league or cup competition, such as the winner of the EPL or Superbowl |
Of course, there are other types of bets, but these cover the most basic bets you’ll be placing. If you want to know about them in any more details, I can recommend the accumulator bets explained and other guides on this site.
Now you know what types of bets exist - you need to know how to place one. I’ve broken this process down into some simple steps, some of which I’ll go into in more detail afterwards. But - in a nutshell betting is just
Find an online sportsbook that is a good fit for you. The reviews in this site can help with this, but I’ll cover the big features to look for.
Sign-up, claim any welcome bonuses and make you first deposit using your preferred payment method
Find your chosen sport, game market and bet type. Decide and confirm your wager
You might want to follow events live – you might not. After the event has finished or you have used a tool like a cashout button to finish early, you will know whether you have won or lost.
If successful, you can withdraw your winnings using the sportsbook’s withdrawal process. Be aware of limits and rules before you do this especially regarding account verification.
How about placing the bet? Yes, that’s the first area that needs expanding on, so here is the process step by step
Research you bet by gathering the information you need to make an informed prediction about the outcome of the event you want to bet on
Then it is just a case of waiting for the bet to settle, if you’ve placed this bet while the event is happening this might be quite soon. If you are placing this well in advance, you will have to wait longer, and you’ll see the odds fluctuate as the event gets near unless you placed a fixed odds bet. These are not that common, so if you need to know more you’ll find the fixed odds meaning on our dedicated guide.
That covers the mechanics of placing a bet - but what about the rest of it. As you know, there is also a mental side to betting as well, and betting responsibly is absolutely vital, so I’ll finish up this betting 101 with a look at responsible betting and some common mistakes to avoid.
Be sensible. Decide how much money you are willing to use for betting and, importantly, stick to it. This should be an amount you can afford to lose without it affecting your ability to pay bills or think straight.
On that note, it's natural to want to win back money after you’ve lost, but this can lead to emotional betting, which rarely ends well. Losses happen, and moving on is the best, if not easiest way forward.
To help with this, you’ll see online sportsbooks can help you set deposit, wager, and time limits. Use these if you think it will help.
Sitting in front of a screen for a long time can lead to tiredness and poor decision-making. Step away from the screen often to give yourself a break.
Do your research on your chosen sports, but also improve your bettor’s education. The guides on this site are an invaluable source of free information.
If you think you might not be in control as you’d like, seek help. There are links on almost every page of most sportsbooks that will take you straight to where you need to go.
Even with these tips, there will still be pitfalls to avoid. There can be a few of these but the ones that are most likely to affect sports betting for beginners are:
So you’ve read this guide - what next? Well, you’ve got all your checklists of what to go a way and do next, like researching your sports and finding the right place to bet. You’ve also got some handy tips on how to avoid some of the pitfalls, so you might want to get started if you feel ready. If you want to look beyond this beginner level, however, there are plenty of other guides available here, for free to help you. If you want something like straight betting explained, there’s a guide, and others that cover more in depth topics like arbitrage and responsible gambling. These will fill in any gaps in your knowledge and allow you to make more informed choices about what you do at online sportsbooks.
A straight bet, also known as a 1X2 bet, is a simple wager on which player or team will win a specified event or if the result will be a draw or tie.
Placing a bet is usually straightforward. Most sportsbooks follow an intuitive layout: sports on the left, markets in the middle, and your betting slip on the right.
Taking breaks helps avoid poor decision-making caused by prolonged screen time. A break can serve as a reset, aiding in more informed and strategic betting decisions.
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