Win or lose, that’s how we play the game! Um… that is how we play, right?
The term ‘sports betting’ seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? You want to place a bet on sports and hope you win. But the word ‘sports’ itself covers an entire world of activity, from one-person luge to virtual football, games, matches, races and competitions that take place on land, in the air, in, on or under the water and even in a completely virtual world. Just like there’s no one way to describe sports, there is no single way to place bets on those games. It’s hardly ever as simple as who wins and who loses, and spread betting is one way to account for all this variability, particularly in team sports.
A casino is a casino is a casino, right? How different can one casino be from another? All they do is exchange money for chips, offer games, and then exchange chips for money.
Well, no. No story goes, “Once upon a time, everything was simple, everything was the same, and everyone was happy. The end.”
Every casino – both brick and mortar and online – is unique. Yes, there are similarities, both legislative and game based, but there’s no way to summarise all casinos with just a few simple sentences.
Luckily for you, we have taken the time and effort to really get into the foundations of online gambling: what makes it tick, how it works, what players can expect, and so much more. Here, we offer you all the in-depth guides to online casinos and gambling you’ll need. And we take that promise seriously, which is why we are constantly working to add more guides that cover every aspect of the online casino experience.
In this series of guides, you will find information about jackpots, variance and volatility, online casinos, casino bonuses, withdrawals and deposits, and more.
Casino guides like these can really help enhance your online casino experience. For example, jackpot guides don’t just tell you what a jackpot is; they explain the various types of jackpot, how they work, how to play to win, where to find games with different jackpots, and even who the game developers are.
Casino bonus guides are another super useful way to figure out which online casinos will work best for you. We don’t only look at the types of bonus offered, but explain how they work, the hidden pitfalls to look out for, and ways to make the most of your wagering requirements.
You’ll find enough information here to keep you busy longer than a great game of poker, so dig in, and come out the other side a little more knowledgeable. And if there’s anything you’d like to learn more about that you don’t find here on CasinoPlay, let us know. Happy reading!
Team sports rarely operate in a vacuum. There’s always a tournament, series, or cup of some kind, and even before sports betting gets involved, calculating winners isn’t always just about who wins or loses. Tie-breakers, tournament points and other factors can influence the outcome of games and contests, so naturally this influences sports betting as well.
Spread betting is a method that seeks to level the playing field, in a way. It not only takes into account the probability of win or loss but also looks at how well each team is expected to perform in each match, against other competitors. So, for example, Team A might be expected to win, but spread betting would want to know by how much. If the spread expects them to win by five points and they only win by two, the person betting is going to lose.
In each game or match, you will have a favourite and an underdog. The favourite is expected to win; the underdog is expected to lose. Next, the bookmakers will calculate what the likely points spread is – in other words, by how much the favourite is expected to win and by how much the underdog is expected to lose.
For example, if Team A is the favourite, and the spread is expected to be 5 points, the spread odds will be indicated like this:
Team A -5 (+115)
Team B +5 (-115)
Note that the favourite is indicated by the negative number and the underdog by the positive number. In this match, betting against the spread on Team A to win will mean that, if Team A wins by fewer than 5 points, or if Team B wins, you lose your wager.
The numbers in brackets next to the spread indicate how much you need to bet to win R100 in the case of Team A, or how much you will win by betting R100 in the case of Team B.
Spread betting is used across a wide range of sports and is most often referred to as such, but you might see it referred to by a different name, usually line or goal line, or points spread.
Spread betting can get pretty complex, especially when you get into sports like horse racing, or big tournaments with multiple teams and match-ups. It can get especially complicated when betting on a mixed-sports or athletic tournament, because each sport will have its own formulas and calculations going into its odds. Your strategies are going to vary depending on the type of sport you’re betting on.
Your best bet is to familiarise yourself with the specifics of the sport you’re interested in and get to know how it works. That doesn’t mean you have to only ever bet on one type of sport, but, particularly for newcomers to sports betting, we recommend taking a one-at-a-time approach. You don’t need to launch straight into horse racing, fantasy football and e-sports spread betting all at once.
The world of sports betting is huge and complex – and potentially rewarding for betters! To learn more about the basics, check out the other articles in our Sports Betting 101 series.
