The gambling industry has taken a major leap in recent years with the introduction of new world technology to suit the preferences of most gamblers around. With the introduction of online betting sites and online sportsbooks, everyone who loves gambling can now place bets from the comfort of their houses.
To make things a little easier and quite uniform for users, the processes are similar. However, each online betting site tweaks things a bit to suit its preference and provide an optimized user experience to gamblers. Hence, finding your way around various sportsbooks if you’re familiar with the steps to place bets at one online sportsbook shouldn’t be difficult. There are thousands of established betting sites online with new ones getting established.
We’re going to walk you through every step of the online sports betting process in this guide. The first thing we need to discuss is what you need to set up to place your bet. We will then discuss how to select the bets that you want to make. We will then dive into making your bet and conclude with how to collect your winnings after all of that information is out of the way. Also, we’re assuming that you’re smart and will win your first wager.
When you finish reading this guide, you will have all the information you need to place your first real-money online sports bet. Isn’t that exciting? We certainly think so! Even our experts were once beginners, and they can all attest that they wish they had someone to guide them through the process.
Login To Your Online Sportsbook Account
Logging into your sports betting account is the first step. You are probably already logged in if you just created an account. Navigate to the sport or game you want to bet on using the menus. There is usually a dropdown menu on the left-hand side of the page that lets you choose your sport, and then you can choose the league.
For example, if you want to bet on an NBA game, you may have to select “basketball” first and then select “NBA” from the drop-down menu. As soon as you do this, all the games should populate to the center of the screen.
Find The Game You Want and Pick Your Preferred Bets
Click the type of bet you want to place on the game or match you want to bet on. Generally, if you do not see the type of bet you wanted immediately, you can click the “more” button to see the full list of wagers available for that particular game, match, or race.
Check the Odds
The next step is to check the odds on the bet and make sure they are favorable to you. You will usually see American odds (example: +110) presented. In the event this is not your preferred format, most good sportsbooks will allow you to convert all of the odds into the format that you prefer (decimal or fraction). You can find this option at the top right of the screen in most online sportsbooks.
Choose Your Bet Amount
You should see a virtual betting slip populate when you click on the bet you want, most likely to the right. Here you will be able to input the amount you would like to bet. You should also be able to see exactly how much you stand to win if you make the right prediction when you type in the bet amount. Depending on the sportsbook, you could see your profit % or you could see the full amount you will receive.
What are the differences? Basically, profit refers to the amount you get back, excluding your original stake. Your profit plus your original bet are added together to form the amount returned. Say, for example, you are betting $20 at even money (meaning you get paid $20 if you win). Therefore, you would profit $20 on a correct bet. You would receive $40 in return. The sportsbook gives you your original wager back and then the money you won on top of that. You would not have made any money if you were only given $20 back! They put both the original $20 and the $20 profit into your account instead. Don’t forget to check which one the sportsbook is using when you are betting.
Confirm the Bet If You’re Satisfied
As soon as you are satisfied with the amount you would receive for a correct pick, it’s time to place the bet. Ensure that you read the entire bet slip before you click “confirm” or “bet” so you are betting on what you want. You’re more likely to make an error if you’re in a hurry or click on the wrong bet.
Check everything and make sure it is correct. Press the “bet” button when you are done. Some sites will require you to click a “confirm” button, but others will only require one click. Double-check the bet one more time for accuracy after it has been placed. Verify that nothing was lost in translation and the amount, game, bet type, and odds are still correct.
Should the odds not be correct for some reason, contact support as soon as possible. Don’t waste any time. The staff at a reputable online sportsbook will handle this for you quickly and without issue. You may run into problems if you wait even a few minutes.
Contact Customer Support For Modalities
During the betting process, it is possible that the odds may change. Depending on the online sportsbook you are using, this will be handled in a different way. On some sites, you can see updates to the odds before you click the “submit” button, which means you can check the odds prior to placing your bet. If this happens, you can accept the new odds or cancel the wager. Occasionally, the odds will move in your favor, and sometimes they will move against you. It is rare for them to move in that short of a timeframe, but it does happen.
If so, check out the new odds and decide if you’re comfortable with them. If they moved in your favor, great! It’s obvious that you’ll like those odds. Obviously, if they moved against you, you have to reassess if you still like the bet and still think it has value. If it does, continue with the process. If it doesn’t, just close out the bet and look for something else. Forcing a bet is not the best way to get action.
It’s time to sit back and wait once you’ve placed your bet or bets. Your job is done, and now it’s time for the player or team you selected to do theirs.
Conclusion
It can be intimidating to make your first bet, which is why we recommend starting small. In that case, if you make an error, you can learn quickly. The chances of you making a mistake are slim, but they do occur from time to time. You shouldn’t have any problems if you double and triple check the bets you are placing. Have fun taking the best bets at your favorite online sportsbooks with these detailed steps on how to place bets online!