Those of us involved in sports betting on a regular basis probably understand that in truth, there was never really any “start” point when individuals 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.

Actually, you can find records to show that as long as there have been matches between people, on any side, you’ll find those who 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 online gambling Plains, all cultures have put bets involving money or goods once 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 and big follow a number of different systems which permit them to make money off of people’s penchant for punting. Whether we are speaking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you’re going to be able to find someone prepared to take your wager.

You need to understand that the story of sports betting is simply as much about these “middle men” than it’s about the sport one is betting on. Bookies setup their odds determined by very complex mathematical formulas, which enable them to to ascertain how they can make money off of people’s bets. They don’t want too much “action” (money wagered) on one side or another, to avoid losing their profit. Consequently, they have thought up ways to encourage people to bet on each side.

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

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

The story of sports betting involves not simply book makers, but additionally the law. You are likely experienced with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and can behave violently when not paid. However, there are many 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 can also be highly regulated. Governments, and sports bodies as well, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer sum of cash 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 sort of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games in order to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws for example the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act look to prevent this from taking place by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Simply, the next chapter within the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses which 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 capability to wager is just a click of the mouse away.

Not simply are more people able to wager on sports through the Internet, the total amount of information available increases the probability of making good bets in a way which has never been seen before. Simply, the information also means that books are able to compensate, though the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) continue to be out there.

It’s safe to claim that betting on sports is a thing that has happened throughout human history, and a thing that shall happen as long as you will find competitions between people. Today, the internet has taken the story of sports betting to the next level; the end of that chapter has yet to be written!