Sports betting is continually growing in popularity around the world. Gambling can add increased excitement to sporting events and the potential to be rewarded with big pay-outs is appealing for many. Some people have the odd flutter for recreational purposes, whilst others take their punting more seriously and aim to make a living out of it. As online sports betting has become pretty popular in the past years, now many sites provide gamblers with an accessible and easy way to enjoy sports betting from the comfort of their own homes.
But just why do some people consistently win, whilst others seem to consistently be reloading their betting accounts? Click here! to find recommended online gaming industry brands and to update where you can benefits great bonuses.
There are two key factors that are a prerequisite to gambling success: research and discipline. The common consensus is that professional gamblers live the high life, placing big money bets, working an hour or so a day and then collecting the profits. The reality could not be much different. Especially when betting on horse racing, hours of daily research are required to survive in an extremely competitive market. Whilst the casual punter will be drawn in by big named jockeys and short priced horses, the advanced form student will be assessing weather conditions, sire statistics, draw biases and individual horse idiosyncrasies.
Secondly, discipline is crucial. Those who treat betting as a recreational activity, betting race to race or in multiple selection accumulators, are highly likely to be showing a loss in the long run. Bookmaker’s inbuilt profit margins mean that generally speaking, the odds are in their favour and therefore selectivity is key. It is impossible to have a strong view or expert knowledge of every single race. Patience and an eye for a mispriced horse are traits of a profitable gambler.
When betting on racing, just what should punters research to give themselves the best possible chance of achieving a profit? Well, as alluded to, the state of the ground, the horses breeding, draw biases and the quirks of horses should be studied. Other factors that need to be considered are:
- Trainer/jockey combination
- Trainer form
- Class of the race
- The pace of the race
- Size of the field
- How the horses have run under similar circumstances
The influence that tipsters can have on the markets cannot be underestimated. For instance, At The Races pundit Hugh Taylor posts his selections on the website and without fail the horses are immediately shortened in the markets. Those who get the odds that Taylor advises his bets at, will profit in the long term, but those who simply follow in once the price has gone, will soon find their betting balance dwindling. Knowing when a horse no longer represents value, is a skill learned through experience.
The key facets of professional horse racing research can be transferred to other sports. For instance, with football matches, factors such as team news, previous head to heads, breaks between matches, average number of goals scored, etc. should all be considerations before striking a bet.
Anyone taking their betting seriously, should be using the betting exchanges. Customers of exchanges are provided with facilities from which they are able to bet against each other. The concept has revolutionized the gambling world by generating much more generous odds, in addition to giving individuals the ability to act as a bookmaker and bet on events NOT occurring. Many professional bettors now make the majority of their money from betting on horses to lose, an act known as laying.
Choosing a betting site is important. As pioneers of the concept, Bodog have been around since 1996, offering better odds than most bookies and a fantastic live betting offering. There are many advantages of BODOG for online sports betting and horse race betting, including multiple years of experience.


