Those of us involved in sports betting on a regular basis probably realize that in truth, there was never really any “start” point when people began betting on sports. It appears pretty natural to place some sort of wager whenever there is a contest between two different sides, whether it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

In reality, you’ll find records to show that as long as there happen to be matches between people, on any side, you can find those that want to add some excitement to the competition through wagering. From the gladiatorial contests in ancient Rome to foot races on North America’s Great Plains, all cultures have put bets involving money or goods when they are watching a competition.

Today, bear in mind, sports betting is significantly more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All around the world, bookmakers both small or large follow many different systems which allow them to make money off of people’s penchant for punting. Whether we are talking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you’ll be able to find someone willing to take your wager.

It is critical to realize that the story of sports betting is simply as much about these “middle men” than it is about the sport one is betting on. Bookies set up their odds based upon very complex mathematical formulas, which help them to to ascertain how they can generate a profit off of people’s bets. They do not want too much “action” (money wagered) on one side or another, to prevent losing their profit. As such, they have thought up ways to encourage people to bet on each side.

One of those ways is to offer higher payouts if your team receiving less bets win. Those that take the “underdogs” stand to win a whole lot more income per dollar bet than people who take the favorites.

Similarly, the point spread is used to encourage betting on both sides associated with any given match. Both methods permit the sports books to come out of each match with some money.

The story of sports betting involves not just book makers, but in addition the law. You are likely experienced with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and also will behave violently when not paid. In contrast, there are lots of legal, above board sports books today who are legally sanctioned to take sports bets. In North America, all of these books run out of Las Vegas.

In other areas of the world, sports betting is legal but is additionally highly regulated. Governments, and sports bodies also, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer sum of money being bet on the outcome of games, it may be tempting for players to forget about competition in favor of a bribe or any other type of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games to be able to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws for example the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act aim to prevent this from occurring by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Keep in mind, the next chapter in the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses that have capitalized on the opportunities available online. Bettors in North America no longer need to make the trip to Vegas as a way to put some money down on their favorite team; instead, the ability to wager will be a click of the mouse away.

Not only will be more people able to wager on sports throughout the Internet, the amount of information available increases the prospects of making good bets in a way that has never been seen before. Remember, the information also implies that books are able to compensate, however the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) are nevertheless around.

It’s safe online gambling to state that betting on sports is something which has happened throughout human history, and an issue that will happen as long as there are competitions between people. Today, the web has taken the story of sports betting to the next level; the end of that chapter has yet to be written!