When betting on sports, there are a lot of different ways to wager. There are moneylines, spreads, and parlays. And there are also prop bets, which allow you to have a vested interest in more specific outcomes, like how many points a certain player will score. Regardless of how you bet, it’s important to understand the terms and rules before you place your wagers.
Football betting rules in the United Kingdom are regulated by the Football Association (FA). Under FA regulations, all individuals involved with clubs at lower levels of the men’s and women’s league systems, as well as match officials at FA Level 4 or below, are prohibited from advertising or promoting any form of football betting. This includes online betting sites and apps. However, these restrictions do not apply to individual players who bet in their personal capacity.
In addition to football betting, the United Kingdom is a popular destination for legal sports betting. The country’s laws on gambling are more relaxed than those of some other countries, and there are several sportsbooks that offer a variety of bet types. However, the odds on a game’s outcome can change constantly, making it difficult to keep up with the latest lines.
Legal sports betting in the United States is slowly spreading to more states. Nevada is leading the way with more than two dozen sportsbooks and an easy-to-use mobile app that makes placing bets a snap. The state’s sportsbook industry has grown so much that it now accounts for more than 40% of the nation’s total revenue from wagers on sports.
Colorado legalized sports betting in 2021 and has multiple operators that offer its residents the opportunity to place wagers from the comfort of their own homes. The state allows wagering on both pro and college sports, although betting on in-state collegiate games is prohibited.
New players can be overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of betting options and terminology, but understanding the basics will help them get started. New bettors should know that the odds on a particular bet are subject to change constantly, and the number of bets placed on a team or player can dramatically affect those odds. The money line odds listed on a bet ticket may differ from the actual odds paid out, especially during slow betting periods.
Futures bets are wagers on events that will take place in the future, and can include competition or tournament outrights (e.g. Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl), player prop futures (e.g. Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon) and regular season or point totals (e.g. Brooklyn Nets O/U 57.5 Wins). If a futures market is postponed, all bets will be void unless the game is rescheduled for within 24 hours. Bets on own goals do not count for first goalcorer markets, and any markets that are abandoned before the end of 90 minutes will be settled as a void. However, if the game is rescheduled for later in the day and has already been played at that time, all bets on those markets will stand.