Those of us involved in sports betting frequently probably recognize that in truth, there was never really any “start” point when individuals began betting on sports. It seems pretty natural to place some sort of wager whenever there’s a contest between two different sides, whether or not it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

In reality, you will discover records to show that as long as there have been matches between people, on any side, you’ll find folks 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 Plains, all cultures have put bets involving money or goods when they are watching a competition.

Today, as always, sports betting is significantly more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All over the world, bookmakers both big and small follow a number of different systems which allow them to make money off of people’s penchant for punting. Whether we have been talking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you will be able to find someone ready to take your wager.

It’s vital to understand that the story of sports betting is just as much about these “middle men” than it’s about the sport one is betting on. Bookies setup their odds according to very complex mathematical formulas, which enable them to to determine how they can make a profit off of people’s bets. They don’t want too much “action” (money wagered) on one side or another, to prevent losing their profit. So, 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. Those who take the “underdogs” stand to win a whole lot extra money 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 enable the sports books to come out of each match with some cash.

The story of sports betting involves not just book makers, but in addition the law. You’re probably experienced with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and may 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 is additionally highly regulated. Governments, and sports bodies as well, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer amount 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 other sort of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games as a way to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws for example the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act aim to prevent this from taking place by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Of course, the next chapter in the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses which have capitalized on the opportunities available excellent online soccer. Bettors in North America no longer need to make the trip to Vegas so that you can put some cash down on their own favorite team; instead, the ability to wager is simply a click of the mouse away.

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

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