Want to learn how to bet on your favourite sports online? Use this article to learn the ropes, get introduced to the jargon, find out where to bet, and learn to bet online.
Where to bet Online
First things first and you will need a find a place to bet online. As online sports betting is legal in South Africa, there are plenty of options for you to choose from when betting online. Most online sports books offer similar games and similar betting options and types. The main differences will be the user experience (including ease of use of the website and customer service), and the actual Odds they offer. In order to maximise your options of finding a bet with odds you favour, you should consider opening up accounts with multiple sports books. Most will even offer to give you deposit bonuses just for signing up. Here is a list of all the licensed online sports betting sites in South Africa. Once you have registered on the site(s) you have chosen, you will then be required to provide them with additional information and documentation for FICA. This is a legal requirement, and if the sports book does not request this from you, then they are not operating within the law. After you have been correctly validated (FICA), you can then deposit some funds (never deposit more than you can afford to lose), and begin betting.
Choosing the sport to bet on
Although there are many sports to potential bet on, and literally hundreds of games, you should rather stick with what you feel the most comfortable with and where you have the most interest and knowledge. This will ensure that (1) you get the most enjoyment out of the betting, as well as (2) reap the most potential winnings – as you are more likely to place a winning bet on a sport/match where you have greater knowledge. However there are of course exceptions to this. For example, let’s say that you are mainly a rugby supporter and this is therefore what you bet on most often. When there are major sporting events, like the FIFA Soccer World Cup 2014, you will most likely also start betting on soccer, mainly as there will be such huge volumes of potential bets to place and this will be where the major online banter will be during the period. However, major sporting events aside, the rule of thumb should always be to bet what you know.
Place your bets
Now that you have created an account with an online sports book and deposited your first funds (remember only what you can afford to lose), you should click around until your find some betting activity on a sport you know and a match you are interested in. Now you will need to decide what type of bet you want to make, and if you are happy with the odds provided. If you are not happy with the odds, then look at another sports book you have an account with and see whether they have better odds.
There are many different options that you can bet on and they could include (depending on the sports book, sport, and exact match): Handicap, correct score, to win, over/under, podium finish, championship. draw, totals, home win, total goals, half time score, etc. The betting options are truly endless as they depend on the flexibility and creativity of the exact sports book.
Also see:
How to bet on Rugby 5
How to Bet on Soccer 1
How to bet on Soccer 10
How to bet on Soccer 4
How to bet on Soccer 13
How to bet on Sportstake 13
The Main SA Betting sites include: