As you would expect, the biggest and most recognisable sporting events from around the world are typically the ones that draw in the most cash. It is estimated the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa had in excess of £1 billion pounds gambled on it. Four years later in Brazil, William Hill estimated that English punters alone matched that total, showing the exponential growth within the sports betting market.
Finding freebets and good betting advice can be hard on the Internet with every country in the world having their own laws surrounding gambling, both offline and online. Obviously punting sports like horse racing, harness racing and greyhound racing are wildly popular.
A glimpse at sports betting around the world
Some countries like Australia, have a national sport, like the Australian Football League or Ireland where Gaelic Football and Hurling are king. Then there are the global sports like tennis, with all the four major grand slams (Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Opens) attracting huge interest around the globe.
Perhaps the biggest betting sport, we mentioned above, is football, (or soccer, depending on where you are from). Most major countries around he world have a huge amount of betting options
US Basketball is also a popular sport to bet on, but what makes it more interesting is the fact that there are two big markets – both NBA and college basketball (NCAA). NBA is the obvious market most people think of when it comes to gambling on basketball, and with multiple games being played most days, there is always the opportunity to place money on one of the world’s most recognisable sports.
However, it is college basketball, and specifically their March madness tournament that garners the most money. Americans gamble roughly USD $3 billion dollars annually on the NCAA tournament. March madness pits the best college teams in America against each other in a knockout tournament to determine the overall best team in the country. It is estimated that Vegas alone will have over 100 million dollars gambled on the event throughout the spring.
When most people think of gambling though, it is horse racing that immediately springs to mind, and one of the most iconic racing events in the world is Australia’s annual staying race; the Melbourne Cup. The Cup is an Australian institution, and the Aussie public respond with their wallets. In 2010 the local bookmarkers TAB and TAB sportsbet took in a staggering 107.5 million dollars in bets on the race alone. Nearly every continent worldwide has its own special and iconic race too, with America’s Kentucky Derby, Dubai’s World Cup, England’s Cheltenham festival to name just a few.
Best bookmakers to bet with
With so many options available to the prospective sports-better selecting the best company to go with can be quite a daunting task. The best thing to do is to go with the trusted and recognisable brands. Hence why English and Australians are recommended to go with William Hill and affiliated companies. There is a reason that William Hill is advertised on all the English sporting and Racing events – William Hill have the best deals, great bonuses and the infrastructure that comes from being England’s biggest bookmaker. Australian’s are also finding out just how great the William Hill experience can be too, with the English powerhouse taking over two of the most recognisable brands in Australia, in TomWaterhouse.com and Sportingbet.com.au, with plans to launch their own standalone, name recognisable brand in late 2015. William Hill’s service is second to none, but what makes it the best is the fact that they have open account bonuses, daily specials and enhanced odds on a variety of sports from around the globe. Americans though are recommended to place bets through Bovada.lv Not only is Bovada the first place Americans should go with all their sports betting and horse racing, but they also provide casino-based games and table games. Bovada is fast becoming America’s go-to place to invest your hard earned cash, so do not be left behind and start up an account today.
Is it legal to gamble online
It is absolutely legal to gamble online, however, there are certain restrictions in place pertaining to live betting. In Australia in particular there is legislation in place to prevent punters from placing bets on sporting events that have already started. For instance, once the first ball of a test match in cricket has been bowled, people looking to invest on any outcome of the match can no longer do so over the internet. However, as an alternative, online betting companies offer people in Australia the chance to call up and place a bet on the game as it is in progress. This differs slightly though from in-race betting, which allows thoroughbred watchers to place money down on a horse as the race is unfolding. A number of online bookmarkers offer this service and usually the market stays open from the jump right through to the 600 metre mark. Fortunately these restrictions do not apply to Americans and the English, but it is something to keep in mind as sports betting and in-game betting in particular is always a hot topic of contention.