BETTING ON SPORTS VS. GAMBLING – A GUIDE ON HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM

The most popular gambling industries are sports betting and gambling in virtual casinos. The appeal of winning big with relatively small stakes has remained unbroken for thousands of years. New online casinos, bookmakers, and betting providers are constantly entering the market. Many users open several accounts with different providers at once and are fascinated by the idea of becoming rich with gambling or betting.

However, fans of slot machines, Blackjack, or poker have tried sports betting at least a couple of times, and the people, who are passionate about betting, are fascinated by casinos. But what is better and more profitable? How is it possible to estimate all the risks?

At first sight it is obvious that classic casino games offer significantly higher chances of winning than any bets. However, the payout here is often only the bet made. In the case of sports betting, which is also considered a game of chance, you can help your luck with a bit of expertise, skillfully placed bets, and the exploitation of bonus payments, which is why sports betting is enjoying increasing demand compared to other games of chance.

Anyway, in this article we will try to figure out where it’s easier to make money. And we will even take a look at the history of both activities to make a comparison.

HISTORY OF GAMBLING AND BETTING

Gambling and betting have been around for about as long as human civilization exists. Sports betting on chariot races or gladiator fights, for example, was an integral part of Roman cultural history. Horse betting was initiated by the Greeks as early as 676 BC on the occasion of the Olympic Games.

The home of modern sports betting is considered to be the motherland of soccer: England. Welsh miners first bet on the results of soccer matches in 1921. 

ONLINE CASINOS

It is very simple to play on a virtual casino platform, because it doesn’t require any specific skills. Modern online casinos offer plenty of different games from traditional as classic black jack online, or Roulette to modern ones. This sphere has become very popular in the last decade due to the development of the Internet. And the Digital era had a huge impact on the gambling industry. 

Now you don’t need to look for a gambling house or an appropriate suite. It is enough to register at the selected online casino, top up your balance in a convenient way and choose the right game for you. Modern online casinos even offer live online games with virtual dealers, that will give you an impression of being in a real casino! So, there are no limits.

Moreover, you don’t always need to pay money. Even a person who isn’t keen on gambling can easily figure out that many modern online casinos offer demo versions of many popular casino games. For example, many virtual casinos have demo versions of slot games you can enjoy without any investments and deposits. 

Sports betting is much more complicated. If in the casino you only need to trust your luck, then it is desirable to know how to understand sports events if you want to place bets on matches. Betting on everything without having a clue about it is also a bad strategy. To become a successful bettor you need to read the forecasts. Experienced loss-makers, who learned how to “see” the favourite, can win a lot of money on the correct outcomes. That’s why a lot depends on the person who places bets, not just on fortune.

ADVANTAGES OF SPORTS BETTING

And now let’s take a look at some of the benefits of sports betting in detail. Maybe sports betting is exactly the sphere that will bring you lucrative profits and luck?

  1. Sports betting combines pleasure with profit. 

Well, watching how your favourite team is playing is much more interesting and inspiring if you bet on its victory. It gives you the feeling of being there and having an impact on the game. The betting euphoria lasts longer than the same effect in online casinos.

 In casinos, the excitement effect lasts only a couple of seconds while the roulette wheel is spinning. With betting, this euphoria lingers. 

  1. A large number of strategies. 

You can find entire schools of betting on the Internet that will teach you how to bet wisely. There are forbidden strategies – multi-accounts, corridors, arbitrage betting, but there are many strategies which are allowed. 

  1. The ability to take control of the situation.

According to some investigations it is much easier to control your bankroll and act consciously in betting than in gambling. 

  1. The other big advantage of betting is a large selection of events and bets for all tastes. 

For example, you can find unique disciplines on many betting platforms, such as sumo wrestling, trotting, dog racing, ski jumping, yachting, and many other exotics. 

ADVANTAGES OF GAMBLING IN ONLINE CASINOS

As we have already mentioned before, the main advantage of a casino is its simplicity. For example, when playing offline, you just have to go into the room, choose a machine for yourself, put in the money, and push the lever. And just wait for the result. If you decide on a virtual casino, your decision is much easier. And there is another major plus, one that usually gets overlooked by newcomers – the absence of margin in online casinos.

So, the margin is the percentage that the betting company takes for itself. It does not matter whether you have placed your bets successfully or not. This figure is inherent in the quotations. That is why you should choose low-margin bookmakers and study the rating of your country’s betting company. Pay attention to important criteria – licence, reliability, a wide range of sports betting, as well as the margin (the lower – the better for you). 

IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING IN SPORTS BETTING WITH EXPERTISE AND STRATEGY

From a player’s point of view, sports betting has the clear advantage that, unlike other games of chance, you can influence your chances of winning in real terms. No roller game in the gambling house, no lottery, and also no (online) casino can keep up with that. Even with classic roulette, there is ultimately no legal, promising strategy to influence one’s luck.  

Luck is also a part of sports betting, since not every soccer match or tennis match is as good as the experts expect, and certainly not always ends as the odds or the course of the game would suggest. However, if you spend a little time on the sport you are betting on, you can significantly improve your chances of winning. Whereby the biggest danger for the bettor is to want too much and to combine too many games in one bet.  

One reason for the increasing popularity of sports betting is certainly that there is a huge range of bets on games and competitions all over the world around the clock, day after day. And you can bet comfortably on your PC or smartphone. At the same time, this bears the risk of betting money rashly on unknown teams or sports in an exotic league or in a faraway country, where you can’t be sure that everything is above board.

On many betting sites you can no longer just bet on the final result, but also a variety of events during the game. If you bet on a game that you can watch live on TV, it increases the excitement of betting many times over. Even if you have nothing to do with the team you bet on to win, you’ll be as excited in front of the screen as if it were the World Cup. Especially since the decision about winning or losing is often only made seconds before the end.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING IN AN ONLINE CASINO

Yes, luck plays a huge role in online casinos, but certain strategies can maximize your chances of making great profits in virtual casino games. Even if many people believe that slot machines or Roulette are one of the easiest forms of gambling, there is also strategic thinking involved when playing. How do slot machines work? 

Most players don’t understand how to win at a casino, perhaps because of negative assumptions such as the simplicity of the game, the high probability of winning, and the theory that strategies are not necessary to win. Knowing that winning is not always easy, and luck is very important, as well as the basic idea of how slot machines work, they are random. Each time the machine is played, the computer program selects a random symbol on the first, second, then third reels. The payback or return of the machine is then based on the probability of building winning combinations and the payout for those combinations. The sequence of symbols cannot be influenced, so each spin has the same chance of winning as the previous spin. As a rule, casinos do not disclose the odds on slot machines. Thus, often players cannot be informed about their chances of winning, but the odds are low. 

Generally speaking, the easier the game, the worse the odds and because slot machines play much faster than other casino games, they also take your money faster. Also, whatever the slot’s odds are, they are usually worse than in table casino games. Regardless of the low probability of winning a substantial amount on slot machines, some proven strategy tips can help you, let’s take a look at them:

  1. Always choose a reputable casino

In any case, the casino should be reputable, so that winnings not only look nice in the virtual wallet but are paid out. Therefore, use casino tests to get a first impression of the digital games offered, the deposit and withdrawal modalities, and the customer service. And don’t forget about the licence. The casino must have a licence from a reputable authority and operate legally. It is a sign that the software is also licensed.

  1. Know the odds in any case! 

Playing in a slot machine that has a payout rate of 70 percent is hardly recommended. Again, a little research is required, because slot machines with a 99 percent payout ratio do exist and do give out winnings with great regularity. As in a real casino, there are also fixed rules in the online casino – many of which are directly related to the games themselves or customer service.

  1. Learn to lose

Digital games are also most fun when you win. However, one rule of real casino professionals is: learn to lose! In any virtual casino gambler should be mentally prepared for losses – they cannot be avoided, no matter how well thought out their strategy may be. To be able to manage losses, players should set themselves fixed limits, not exceed them, and, above all, not compensate for larger loss sums with higher stakes. The last rule is especially essential to increase money in the casino. And remember, that the total losses only occur when you can’t stop.

  1. Do not gamble with the winnings you have made

Winnings should remain winnings, so they should always be a positive amount. Even if you win only 1 euro in a round of blackjack, you should value exactly this one euro and put it aside as a profit. The idea behind it is the right money management. If you put one euro aside 100 times, you will end up winning more than someone who wins 500 euros once but loses 900. And if luck doesn’t favor you on the current game day: simply wait for the new day – luck can’t be forced! The right money management will also help you not to become an addicted gambler. And a gambling addiction will never bring you money or success. Moreover, it will take your energy, time, money and psychological health. Be careful with it!

  1. Avoid videos

Virtual slot games with videos or other online casino games with videos may look more appealing and fun. But in reality, these machines pay off much less than regular machines. It can be as much as 5% less return, which can seem like nothing but a large amount for slots. There is a certain reason for it. The video and entertainment features on slots take a little longer to display. While this is happening, the online casino is not making any money. Thus, the machine is programmed to get a little more money from customers when they play. It is a simple but useful trick virtual casinos use to increase their own profits.

  1. Don’t forget about the online casino bonuses

If a player wants to find a virtual casino, he inevitably ends up on pages that advertise various casinos based on their bonuses. Online casinos specifically play with the bonuses among new customers, only an important question arises: should a bonus alone decide whether or not to sign up? Or should a bonus not be considered proverbially: as a gift on top? To choose a casino with good bonuses you need to take a look at the bonus conditions.

The most noticeable type is certainly the new customer or welcome bonus. This bonus is present on the respective websites, so it is directly seen by every visitor. However, the welcome bonus can also vary. Some casinos reward customers for just signing up and grant a small amount of money or even free spins. Others increase the first deposit. Higher bonus amounts often have to be converted first. How often and which conditions apply in general can be seen in the bonus conditions.

Bonuses without deposit… As mentioned above, there is sometimes a small amount of money for new customers when they sign up. But the bonus can also be higher and awarded to existing customers. Sometimes this bonus refers to a fixed game. For example, the gambler can gamble on a certain slot machine and win without betting for a certain amount of time. 

However, with every bonus, the condition must always be checked. Especially inexperienced players should pay attention to the turnover conditions. If you can’t estimate how well you can turn over a bonus amount ten times, you run the risk of losing a lot of money. And if you choose a casino with good bonus conditions, you can increase your chances of winning in an online casino.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS OF SPORTS BETTING TO WATCH OUT

There are a few good tips from experts on how to reduce the luck factor in sports betting. For example, you should never be sure that the high favorite, for whose victory there is only a small odds, will win. Even if he wins, the profit is so modest that you could have saved yourself the bet. That’s why betting on favorites is not always a good option.

You should only bet on sports in which you know your stuff. Even if the odds for a cricket match in the Philippines or a greyhound race in South Africa are so tempting – if, in doubt, it’s better to leave it alone.

Professional competence helps to better assess the chances of winning. Before betting, experts advise analyzing the two teams that will meet in the match in detail. Most betting providers offer detailed statistics, at least for games of the Bundesliga.

A big mistake in sports betting can be to let your emotions guide your betting. This can lead to an unrealistic estimation of the outcome of the game and thus to the loss of the bet. So, keep your fingers away from the games of your favorite club.

Last but not least, you should not combine too many games in one bet, even if the total odds by multiplying the individual odds may of course be tempting. The more tips you combine in one bet, the more the luck factor gains in importance and thus also the chance of losing everything.

WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE – BETTING OR GAMBLING

In conclusion, if you still can’t make up your mind, then just try these two products. Theoretically, it is easier to earn on sports betting if you are prepared and well-informed about all the forecasts. But maybe you’re a lucky person who often gets lucky, and you’ll like virtual casinos much more than betting websites. 

By the way, there are also some important similarities. Both activities can cause so-called gambling addiction, if you don’t game in an appropriate way and are not able to control yourself. That’s why we recommend you give up gambling or betting if you become addicted to it and also control your game. Even if gambling or betting gives you many great emotions, stay rational and make right decisions. Read forecasts or casino rules, stay informed of new games and digital trends of the market, think about the right money management, and accept your losses. 

However, the plus side of both activities is that now you don’t have to leave home to do them. Nowadays you can try virtual betting or playing and stay mobile.  In many cases you can even choose between web-based and smartphone versions and really decide on a version you like most. 

And choose only the licensed gambling or betting platforms, don’t forget about your security! If you take all these things into account, your choice will be secure. And then you should just understand which activity really fascinates you more. Do you like watching different sports? Or maybe you have always wanted to become a famous football player as a child? Or maybe you like cybersports and always read news about it? Or you are really fond of Roulette games, want to try poker or find slot games interesting? The internet is full of amazing online casinos to explore. Don’t miss your chance as each decision you make will be correct and bring you much joy. We wish you good luck and great profits with the games of chance!