Online betting is not only a wonderful form of entertainment but also an excellent opportunity for in-the-know punters and complete novices alike to make huge profits from top sports like football, tennis and horse racing. Whether it’s a simple prediction such as the match result or correctly predicting the first scorer in a basketball game, the list of ways to win is seemingly endless. Not sure where to start? Our beginner’s guide will take you through everything you need to know before you start placing your wagers at a top online betting site.
Your Questions Answered
What should I be looking for when choosing a bookmaker?
There are a number of things to consider. Many people automatically think about free bets and bonuses – and with good reason. You’ll often find offers like ‘bet £5 get £10 free’, or deposit match bonuses such as ‘100% up to £50’. While they will usually have a number of terms and restrictions applied, they certainly boost the incentive for getting started with one bookie over another. You’ll also want to think about the range of markets, availability of live betting, bonus features like cashout or live streaming, and mobile friendliness – all of which are covered in our in-depth betting site reviews.
How do I deposit funds to my betting account?
It’s pretty simple, really. Once you’ve signed up to an account at your chosen bookmaker, head to the banking, payments or cashier section. Most punters will deposit with a debit card or bank transfer – which simply requires entering your details into a form. If you’d rather use an eWallet like PayPal, it’s a s simple as signing in and depositing your chosen amount.
What is an accumulator?
An accumulator is a fancy word for when you combine multiple bets together. For example, if you bet on Arsenal, West Ham and Leicester to win as part of an accumulator, the odds are multiplied together. This makes the potential payout much higher than if you bet on just a single game. Another way to think about it is this: the winnings from each part of the accumulator are automatically bet on the next match – and so on. The only downside is that, unless you have a very reliable crystal ball, the odds of you winning are pretty low! Still, accumulators remain a popular bet and many punters place a weekly accumulator in the hope of one day hitting the big time.
Should I cash out or not?
Ah yes, the eternal dilemma! A growing number of bookmakers offer a ‘cashout’ feature, which allows you to cash out early and take a reduced win in exchange for guaranteed profit. The alternative is to stay in the game and ride it out. If the result remains the same, you’ll win more. But if the outcome changes, you’ll be left wishing you cashed out when you had the chance. Whether you should do it or not? That mainly depends if you fancy holding on for the ride or the certainty of a guaranteed outcome. It’s like making a bet within a bet. the choice is yours!
Do all bookies have mobile apps?
Most of them do. Usually these specific mobile apps downloaded from an app store will be faster and more reliable then a regular mobile website. However that’s not always the case – and some people prefer to play from their mobile web browser than taking up space on their phone with another app. You can browse our top mobile betting apps here.
How do I make sure I get the best odds?
Our reviews include spot checks of various odds on a range of popular markets. This gives us a fair idea of how good the odds are at various bookies, and you can find that in each review we provide. However the smartest thing to do is to compare specific odds for the market you’re interested in, on the day you want to place the bet. This will help you know exactly which odds are available on the market, and where your potential returns are maximised.
What are enhanced offers?
These offers, also known as ‘price boosts’, are a way of attracting new customers by raising the odds on a specific market. For example, Man Utd might be events to beat Bournemouth at home, but an enhanced odds offer might boost that to 5/1. Please note there are usually limits and terms applied to these kinds of offers, so they aren’t usually as lucrative as they first seem!
