Online gambling is an ever-growing activity all over the world, with sports fans now having the ability to place a wager instantly from their computer or mobile device.
The rise of internet betting has gone hand in hand with the increased coverage of sports through various streaming services. There has never been a better time to be a sports fan or a sports bettor. Below are the five sports that make up a huge portion of the betting handle across online sportsbooks.
Soccer
Comfortably the biggest sport in the world, soccer is very prominent on online betting sites, with punters in the UK and the rest of Europe loading up on wagers on leagues such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and more.
You can pretty much find soccer going on somewhere at any time of any day, so there are many in-play betting opportunities as well as pre-match.
Depending on where you are based, soccer is also likely to be the subject of most online betting offers as well.
American Football
Nothing trumps the Super Bowl when it comes to one-off betting events, especially in the US, where online betting is opening up in more and more states.
It was estimated by the American Gaming Association that Americans would wager $6.8 billion on Super Bowl 54, which saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers.
The high-scoring nature of American football opens it up to a multitude of bet types, with the most common being the point spread, total points, and a range of player props.
You can get an 888sport bonus when betting on the NFL. The online bookmaker offers free bets on a weekly basis.
Horse Racing
Betting and horse racing go hand-in-hand. Lots of old school bookmakers began operating in the betting ring at racecourses many years ago, and the sport has continued to make up a large chunk of the gambling business.
It is easy to see why people love betting on racing. It is a very simple concept, and you don’t have to stake huge sums of money to make it interesting and have a chance at a big payout.
There are meetings every day, and some betting sites have live streaming of racing on their sites.
Tennis
One of the most dynamic sports in the world, tennis is the perfect sport for gambling – especially in-play.
Tennis is not only one of the biggest sports for betting, but also trading, which you can do on betting exchanges.
Like soccer, you can find a tennis match on a sportsbook more or less 24/7 because bookies list not only major events, but more obscure stuff too.
Basketball
Of the four major US sports, basketball has the widest global appeal, and therefore it gets a lot of betting action.
You can even find basketball bet builders now. They allow you to put together a same game parlay and include selections such as player points, assists, rebounds, and more.
College basketball’s flagship tournament, March Madness, attracts a lot of punters, and so does the NBA playoffs and the FIBA World Cup.