How to Place a Bet Online: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners

In many jurisdictions across the globe, online sports betting has had some sort of a checkered past. However, as things look now, it’s like online betting is finally coming out of the shadows, with several countries across the globe, especially the U.S. legalizing and regulating sports betting, a move that allows plenty of Americans to bet online. Many countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia have also gone ahead to legalize and regulate wagering over the internet, a move that has seen millions of enthusiasts engage in this type of betting.

Wagering over the internet isn’t something that one learns overnight. A player must begin from somewhere. Even that sport betting guru that you admire so much started from somewhere. Are you a beginner with the intention of enjoying the thrill and excitement that comes with wagering over the internet? Where do you begin? Are there any tips or strategies that may see you winning on a regular basis?

If you are here, count yourself very lucky indeed. This article is the ultimate guide for beginners with an urge of learning how to place bets online. Here, you’ll learn a lot of important stuff when it comes to wagering over the internet. Let’s set the ball rolling!

Yan Zhylinski Updated: 22 June 2021

Top Betting Sites for Starters

Today, if you look around, you’ll notice plenty of betting sites that allow its customers to wager with them over the internet. However, some of them lack the much-needed professionalism required here. These ones leave bettors, especially those that are just beginning to bet with them with some unpleasant betting experience.

Are you on the hunt for some of the most popular, and arguably the best sites where you can place your bets hassle-free? Below is a list of some of the best ones around, suitable for players that are just starting out. Upon trying and testing them, we found them to be the best so far.

Bet365 – Bet365 is one of the most established sportsbook around. Even though it is home to hundreds of thousands of bettors across the globe, it’s also an ideal starting ground for newcomers. Getting to place bets here is simple and straightforward.
888sport – 888sport seems to be attracting plenty of bettors who prefer to wager over the internet. Just like Bet365, everything from account registration to verification and bet placement is easy. New customers will find its site easy to navigate and wager on their favorite teams or players without difficulty.
Ladbrokes – Even though Ladbrokes started small, today, it has transformed to become one of the best sites for sports betting. If you happen to be new here, then you have no reason to worry at all when it comes to wagering. Just search or select the event that you want, click the betting options available, choose what you want, then tap on the ‘Place Bet’ icon. It’s as simple as that.
Coral – While Coral is one of those established bookies that’s home to thousands of players, new players will find this site ideal for them. It comes with an easy-to-use interface that makes online betting fast and easy. You can find any event that you want with ease and wager on easily as this bookie presents everything openly.
William Hill – Undoubtedly, William Hill is one of the biggest and most successful brands when it comes to betting on sports. Despite being home to millions of bettors across the globe, this bookie provides a fresh starting ground for those intending to start betting.

Tips on How to Choose a Good Betting Site

Now that you are almost getting into the world of sports betting, you need to ensure that you associate yourself with the best sites only. If you make the mistake of joining any available site probably due to convenience, you may end up with some unpleasant betting experience.

Does the bookmaker that you are about to register with legit? Do they possess the license to provide betting services? Before signing up and making deposits, make sure that you consider a few important factors. As a newcomer, you’ll ensure that you enjoy an unforgettable betting experience. So, how do you go about choosing the best betting site when you want to place online bets?

First, make sure that the bookie of your choice has a license and registration necessary to provide betting services over the internet. Insist on checking such documents if need be. You may also want to ensure that they offer both pre-match and in-play match statistics to enhance your chances of winning.

As a beginner, you should always place bets with bookies that offer its new customers some of the best odds around. Low odds is a sign of a bookie whose intention is to exploit their customers. You may also want to consider sportsbooks that provide plenty of payment options such as Skrill, Neteller, Bank Wire transfer, debit/credit cards, and cryptocurrencies, among others.

Registration Process at Online Betting Sites

Before place your bet(s) at a bookie of your choice, you must first register with them. So, how do you go about with the registration process? Most sportsbooks currently in business have a standard registration process that you can complete in a few minutes and begin wagering on your favorite sporting event. Below is a standard registration process that beginners will find being very easy:

Open the homepage of your preferred betting site where you see the option of registering with them. Mostly, you’ll find this feature on the top right-hand side of your screen.
Click on the ‘register’ icon on the site’s homepage.
Go through the entire registration process required by the bookmaker. Here, is where you key in personal details such as full names, date of birth, place of residence, your username, and password. It’s here that you’ll also have to accept the site’s terms and conditions, cookie policy, and privacy policy.
Upon completing the above step, your bookie may ask you to upload certain documents required to prove your identity. Until the verification process is complete, you cannot deposit any funds to your account. Mostly, verification may not take more than 48 hours.
After you complete the verification process, what follows is funding your newly created account. Here, you’ll have to select the payment method that you prefer. We always advise those starting out to go for payment solutions that offer fast payouts such as e-wallets and cryptocurrencies.
Lastly, if your deposits are a success, then you can proceed to stake or place your wagers at the betting site.

How odds work in sports betting

There are three main types of odds in sports betting. They can be fractional, decimal, or American. They are different ways of presenting odds but the payout is almost similar. The payout for fractional odds works as follows:

[Stake x (Numerator/Denominator)] + Stake

For decimal odds, it’s Total Payout = Stake x Decimal Odd Number

Lastly, there’s American odds. They are highly popular in the U.S. and are accompanied by a minus (-) sign, that indicate the amount you need to stake to win. Meanwhile, the odds for underdogs come with a positive (+) sign that indicates the amount for every 100% of money that a player wagers.

Placing Online Bets

Placing online bets is where the fun begins. To begin wagering online, simply click on a betting market that you are familiar with and want to punt on. Ensure that you have a clear understanding of your preferred betting market. This way, you’ll enhance your chances of seeing your wagers come through, even if you are just a beginner.

Select an outcome that you’d like to back, and you’ll see your chosen outcome appearing on your bet slip. The minimum stake that you can place does vary from one sports betting site to the next. The maximum stake also vary among several sporting disciplines and mostly depend on the different odds that you want to back in addition to the number of selections you make.

Select the amount that you wish to bet with, and place your bet(s). In case you want to add more selections to your betting slip, just repeat the above process. Of importance to note is that there are several types of online bets from single, double, treble, and accumulator. A single is one bet selection that must be a successful for a return. A double, is a single bet but in two selections in different events that must be successful too.

A treble bet is a single bet, but in three selections in three different events. All the three selections that you make must be successful for a return. Accumulator bets, also known as accas is a single bet involving not less than four selections. All selections must come through for a players bet to payout.

Do you happen to be a staunch football follower? Apart from the different line changes and betting odds that may pay well, you need to be aware that most sportsbooks will always have an edge. Since they are in business to make money, most of them will offer slightly reduced odds on the favorites. But as a beginner, make sure to check other things such as bonus offers, safety and security, and how they handle their customers, among others.

Finding the right sportsbook

Choosing the right sportsbook can be a challenge. But in the end, it’s worth doing your research early. To find the best. For the best ones, make sure to check their promotions, the type of betting opportunities and markets, and the level of customer service that they offer. This way, you’ll be in a good position to know the good ones from the bad.

The Bottom Line

Online sports wagering is on the rise globally, with several jurisdictions now legalizing and making it possible for their citizens to place bets over the internet. What’s even interesting to see is that plenty of people are getting into sports betting, especially over the internet, meaning that most of them are starters. As a beginner, you need to devise or rather come up with a diligent betting strategy to ensure that you maximize your winnings. As a beginner, you won’t always win. There are certain times when your bets will sail through and other times when you’ll be unlucky. But if you learn how to place bets, rest assured that most of time, you’ll win. Avoid the need to punt large sums of money. Always go for familiar markets, and stop chasing loses. This way, your chances of realizing some winnings improve. While betting over the internet has, and never will be one of those easiest endeavors, just put your best foot forward while hoping for the best!