Types of Sports to Bet On

The complete guide of sports to bet on. Read what are the popular sports for betting, and get some tips to improve your betting game.

The latest statistics on sports betting show that the sports betting industry was worth $104.31 billion in 2017. Keep in mind, this does not account for all the unregulated online betting companies and peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms. Therefore, it’s safe to say that sports betting is incredibly popular the world over.

It’s easy to understand why this is so because in as much as watching a game is a lot of fun, betting on the outcome raises the excitement to a higher level and a number of sports to bet on is rising continuously. Those of you who bet regularly already know the thrill of betting on a match and being proven right. And in case you are yet to experience the feeling, you may want to sign up now and make some bets, read our guide on how to start betting to make sure that you will enjoy the process fully.

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There are thousands of sports that are played around the world, so it’s impossible to talk about each of them in one post. Instead, we are going to highlight the most popular sports to bet in the country.

Football

One of the most popular sport for betting is Football (soccer), with over 3.5 billion fans around the world. The simplest and most straightforward bet on a football match is to predict the winner of the match.

That being said, you may also want to make a specific bet on, say, a particular player scoring or a specific outcome in scores. The best betting companies should accommodate all these variations in the bet so that you can wager on whatever you want.

Basketball

Globally, basketball ranks third with 2.2 billion fans behind cricket and football. However, it is the most popular sport here in the Philippines. Just like in football, you will usually bet on the outcome of a match as a win for one team over the other or a draw.

Also, just like football, basketball betting can offer specific bets and variations that can be tailored for specific occurrences, actual scores, certain player actions, etc. Making these types of bets is considered a bit risky because they are very specific, and the chances of winning are low.

Cricket

In the Philippines, cricket may not be among the most popular sports to bet on, but to the rest of the world, it’s very huge. This is actually quite weird because the game was first played in Manilla in 1914. Nevertheless, you may be a fan of the sport and enjoy watching the game, so why not put your knowledge of the game and teams to good use and make money from it?

Having over 2.5 billion fans around the world means there is no shortage of betting companies that allow betting on cricket. You can easily find one today and start making bets on games played from around the world.

Boxing

Boxing is the toughest sport in the world. This is according to sports scientists who studied various aspects of different sports and what it takes to succeed in each. In boxing betting, you can bet on the result of a match, but also other variations.

Some of these variations can be on the number of rounds, whether or not the fight will last to the final round, method of victory, a round of victory, etc. A good betting site should have each of these variations and then some more to make things interesting.

Volleyball

While men are usually the most recognized in the Philippines from the three previous sports, volleyball is different. Here, the women’s national volleyball team is often more passionate and competitive. To bet on a volleyball game, it is especially important to understand a team’s dynamics.

This is because, unlike other sports where a team can be ‘carried’ by one player, volleyball is all about team cohesion. That is why you probably want to avoid placing bets on individual players even though the betting site offers this choice.

Billiards

It’s common to play pool recreationally at a local bar, but there are some players such as Efren Reyes who make you want to watch a game. There’s no luck in billiards as this is a skill game, so the better player always wins.

The most common variation of billiards is snooker, and most people know the rules involved in the game. Despite this simplicity, bets on billiards can still be varied depending on the different plays. For instance, there can be frame bets, highest break bets, handicap bets, and many more.

Esports

Esports is gaining popularity around the world, and the Philippines has not been left behind. Dota 2 is currently the highest paying Esport in the world with prize monies for each event reaching $224 million.

Johan Sundstein (N0tail) is the highest-earning Esport player having made about $7 million from playing Dota 2. To bet on these games, one must know the players’ skills as well as the nature of the game. Because of this, each event is different and it can have numerous variations in bets.

Racket sports

The main sports played using a racket include table tennis (Ping-Pong), lawn tennis, badminton, and squash. Lawn tennis has a long history dating back to the 18th century in London and then quickly spread to the rest of the world.

Today, all of these games are very popular and are even played during the Summer Olympics, with the exception of squash. Lawn tennis betting is still the most popular of racket games, with players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Serena Williams being recognized worldwide.

These games, especially tennis often have huge viewership rates and are thus aired on most sports channels. This allows you to bet on the outcome of these games and to make specific bets. Bets on racket games often have higher odds than, say, football, and that means you can make a lot of money from these bets.

MMA

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has been well received in recent years. Its main advantage is that the sport accommodates all types of fighting styles and does not restrict participants as is the case in boxing. Almost like in UFC, fighters adept at karate, judo, taekwondo, boxing, jiu-jitsu, capoeira, and many other styles are all welcome, allowing viewers to have more excitement.

When you want to bet on MMA, therefore, it can be a chance to determine which fighting style is the best and most effective. Take the case of a match last year where Conor McGregor, whose main fighting style is karate, was beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is often described as a wrestler. These are the kinds of clashes that make MMA such a fun sport to bet on.

Baseball

Inasmuch as baseball is regarded as America’s pastime, it is also played in other countries such as Canada, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and many more. When betting on baseball games, a lot of intricacies come into play including the field and weather. The wind is an obvious factor, but so are temperature and humidity. All of these have to be considered if you’re going to place a bet, and that adds to the excitement of the game.

Golf

Another sport you can bet on is golf, usually considered boring by those who aren’t big fans. But if you have a passion for the sport, you can add to that excitement by betting on it. There can also be different kinds of bets on the game from wagering on the tournament winner, hole-in-one odds, head-to-head, top nationality, round leader, etc. While there may not be a lot of games at this time, you will not find a shortage of tournaments in golf all through the year.

Others

Other than the games mentioned above, there are some other popular sports to bet on, such as horse racing, badminton, Formula1, and motorbike racing. Meanwhile, some sports are very unique you probably didn’t know you could bet on them. Some of these are bowling, darts, arm wrestling, and more. Only the biggest betting companies offer bets on such sports, and it can be a good distraction for anyone.

Type of sports to bet on

Betting is perhaps as old as time because of our competitive nature. This is why records of sports betting date back 2,000 years ago when the Greeks introduced the Olympics. From then on, sports betting has only become more popular and prevalent. Compared to, say, betting in a casino, there are several reasons why sports betting is still the way to go.

The Gods May Be on Your Side at Times

The odds are not always stacked against you by a company designed to make money out of you. They say ‘the house always wins’ because casinos always make sure the odds are not in your favour. Sports betting is not the same and you are able to make money as long as you carefully analyse the games.

Outcomes Are Clear to Everyone

Another advantage to sports betting is that you can always watch the games/matches you bet on. There can be no underhand activities because sports are always broadcasted on TV and can even be watched online from a computer or mobile phone. It is this transparency that makes sports betting so attractive to punters around the world.

Besides, major sports like football, basketball, and boxing do not have instances of match fixing or other forms of manipulation. This further enhances the transparency of sports betting above other forms of betting.

All the Information Is Available to You

With the exception of extreme circumstances such as we are in right now, sports matches are predictable. Each sport runs on a schedule that is always honored, giving you time to think about your bet. As you plan to place a bet, you can freely research the teams, players, and any other thing you need to know. No one rushes you or pushes you to make a bet, so you only do so when completely comfortable.

Bets Can Be Customized

Betting options are no longer limited to wins and losses, which can be quite restrictive. Most of the major betting companies offer numerous variations of sports bets and even allow betting while matches are ongoing. All these options mean that the process is much more flexible and comfortable to one’s desire.

It’s Very Easy

Thanks to the proliferation of the internet and mobile phones, it is now easier than ever to bet on matches wherever you are. All you need is a device to connect you to a bookmaker and you’re good to go.

Although betting on sports is great and better than other types of gambling, there are some pitfalls you should know about. Nothing’s perfect, after all.

You Could Lose Money

Betting means wagering money on a particular outcome. There is real money involved here and you could possibly lose it when betting on sports. Even with the most extensive research, matches are still unpredictable.

For example, Japan’s win over South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup has been described as the ‘greatest Rugby World Cup shock ever’. A lot of punters probably lost money betting on South Africa believing that it would beat Japan.

Winning Odds Are Usually Low

To make money, bookmakers create odds based on an assessment of probabilities for each team involved. When one team of contender is a favourite to win, bookmakers will lower the odds for that side. The odds for such a side could be as low as 1.10 or even lower, meaning you would only gain $10 if you bet $100. Considering that there are chances of losing the entire $100, these low odds make it unreasonable to place such a bet.

Unfortunately, odds in sports betting, particularly in major league sports, are often low due to tougher competition between all participants. It’s only on minor leagues and specific bets where odds become higher, but then your chances of losing are much higher and we don’t recommend this.

Unregulated Bookmakers

All betting companies are supposed to be regulated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). However, many companies still operate without regulation, and this can be dangerous to punters. Cases of fraud have been on the rise due to an increasing number of unregulated bookmakers, which is now a real risk whenever someone is betting on sports.

Betting on One Sport vs. Betting on Many

Like a kid in a candy store, you can be tempted to try every available option just because it looks attractive. This is also part of human nature where we’re always looking for adventure. In sports betting, you will be tempted to wager on many sports simultaneously, and like everything else, it too has its pros and cons.

Responsible betting involves doing a lot of research to understand the teams and players involved in a match. Researching all this information takes time, but it’s the only way to improve your chances of winning. But if you only follow one sport, the research becomes less tedious as you build upon the information you already have. You only get better with time and win more bets on that game.

On the other hand, researching different sports from one day to the next means you’re trying to keep up with double, triple, or even more of the information. No matter how smart you may be, that can become debilitating and you will only become a ‘jack of all trades, but a master of none’.

Therefore, pick the one sport you’re most passionate about and only bet on that. You can still enjoy other sports, but only bet on what you understand intimately.

Tips and Advice to Help You Make the Best Decisions

  • Although you may want to support teams and players you admire, you must become objective about your bets. Just because you believe your favourite team will win does not mean that they will
  • Be honest about your bets and avoid using your emotions in the process just to prove you’re right
  • When trying to make plenty of money, be cautious with your money and how you manage it
  • Bet only with money you can comfortably lose without it affecting your lifestyle. Gambling is known to be addictive, and there have been incidences of people losing entire fortunes

Above all, always remember that sports betting is about having fun; like participating in a sport you already enjoy. But even as you have fun, it’s important to be responsible about it and realize why you want to bet on sports. As long as you do not let yourself get carried away, betting will be a fun activity that even generates passive income to buy some of the things you desire.

Tips and advice for right betting

Conclusion

We have discussed various aspects of sports betting in this post, and we hope that this guides you to understand more about the industry and activity. As you can see there a lot of sports to bet on and you shouldn’t have a problem finding the once suited to you. If you have any questions about a specific betting company, need tips on making better bets, or are struggling with some other aspects of betting, feel free to check our website for guides and reviews.

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FAQ 

There is no single sport that we can say is the best for betting. It’s more important to understand one sport intimately so that you know what factors affect the outcome.

Every betting company has a different minimum requirement to start betting. You should check the specific amount from your bookmaker.

When one side is considered likely to win, their odds drop below 1.50 or even lower. The lower the odds, the safer the bet. That being said, there are no guarantees that a bet will go your way and you should be prepared for all outcomes.

There are several TV networks that air live international games here in the Philippines. Subscribe to one of these networks or stream the games online.

You should do a lot of research on the teams and players involved in a match. Find out the result of their previous games as a guide to the most likely outcome.

Unlike a lottery, do not expect instant wealth from sports betting. Focus on sharpening your skills and earning money consistently over a long time to become rich.

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