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Sports betting – from the field to the phone

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Ever since sports have existed, so has betting. UK has always been a good market when it comes to legal gambling, with many over the counter opportunities available, as well as huge events like the Royal Ascot allowing a lot of people to cast their bets. Gambling in the UK has been legal since 1960, but the Gambling Commission which was formed under the Gambling Act 2005 and assumed full power in 2007 now regulates all kinds of betting. In 2013, even the National Lottery Commission became part of it.

Technical Advancements

Of course, with the advent of technology, betting is changing much like many other of our online shopping habits. In this article, we look at how betting has evolved from the counter to desktop to now sitting inside our pockets in the form of apps.

Early websites

Online casinos introduced the act of betting and gambling using the internet. Online sports betting soon followed. Intertops was one of the first websites to be formed in 1996, and it soon became quite popular for users all over the world to place wagers on sporting events. However, online betting as we know it still didn’t exist. While you could place a wager on a game before it took place, you were not allowed to place live bets during the game. The first live bets were introduced in 2002, allowing people to place their bets during an event was taking place. This was not only a major development; it was also an instant success. It meant great business for the websites too, as it allows people to place a far higher number of bets on a game than normal.

Advent of apps

As with everything else, the next natural step in the world of online betting was to move to apps. Interestingly, while many markets have seen different trends emerge, this market soon got filled  up with apps from the top websites in the internet. In many ways this was a natural progression, because unlike normal games, a lot of regulations and standards are involved with such apps, and it is best that they are handled by companies who know what they are doing already.

Free bets

One of the trends that has recently been seen in both desktop websites as well as apps is the offer for free bets. Many companies are offering a typical of £10 to £20 on sign up, though if you look around on different sites, even bigger values are on offer. Some companies will even further the offer by matching your bets, and others will look for big matches to make interesting offers. All great ways of hooking people in.

Responsible Gambling

At the end of the day, it should also be remembered that gambling is a habit that can often cost you more than just money, and should be enjoyed responsibly. It can be addictive, and the ease with which websites and apps allow us to gamble mean that a lot of people end up spending a lot of time and money on these habits. As such, many websites and support lines exist, in the UK and worldwide. GamCare in the UK offers not only support and counselling, but offers it free, with services that are confidential, non-judgemental and expert.

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2 thoughts on “Sports betting – from the field to the phone

  1. As someone who is a keen matched better I can honestly say that the apps have given me a lot more freedom. I can utilise my free bets from anywhere and without them I’d be stuck by the laptop trying to make cash. Currently on the hunt for a decent matched bet calculating app.

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