Using Betting Sites to Bet Online

Intro to Online Betting Sites

The following guide is intended to walk you through the process of placing your first bet at an online sportsbook. Please note that each step is explained in further detail by clicking the "Learn More About…" link below each step.

Choose an Online Betting Site

Choosing the right online sportsbook is not just a simple matter of clicking the first link to appear on Google when you search the term "online sportsbook". There is a lot take into consideration. Firstly, what sports are you looking to wager on? International sportsbook often have a much wider range of sports. You want to choose an online sportsbook that has been around for awhile; one that carries a long-standing reputation of honesty and integrity. An online sportsbook should have good odds, evenly displaced for each wager.

Learn More About "Choosing a Sportsbook"

Register and Deposit

With the best online sportsbook in mind, it’s time to set up an account. It only takes a few minutes to register and make your first deposit. Look for a link labeled "Register", "New Users", "Create Account", or something to that effect, and click it.

You’ll be required to fill out a little information about yourself. Typical fields include your real name, address, phone number, email and password. Complete the form and submit to create your new online sportsbook account.

Next you’ll need to make a first deposit. You should already be logged in at this point, but if not, be sure to do so first. In the My Account section, you’ll find a Cashier or Banking section. Choose to make a deposit and select from the list of available deposit methods (credit card, bank wire, cash transfer, e-wallet, etc.) Fill out the information, input the amount of your deposit and confirm the details.

Placing Your First Bet

There are many types of bets available at an online sportsbook, but as a beginner, it’s best to start out with the basics. The two most common bets are known as ATS and Over/Under.

ATS, or "Against The Spread", is a bet based on the point spread established by the online sportsbook. Let’s say the Miami Dolphins are favored to beat the Chicago Bears by 7 points. That’s a 7 point spread. If you bet on Miami, the must win by at least 7 points for you to win the bet. If they lose, or do not win by 7 or more points, you lose the bet. Point spreads are used to even out the odds when one team is favored to win, making a bet on either team more enticing.

Over/Under bets are based on how many points the teams is expected to score overall. If Miami is expected to score 21, and Chicago 14, the Over/Under would be 35. You can bet Over, that there will be 35 or more points, or Under, that there will be less than 35 points.

The Bet Slip will look something like this:

Betting Slip Courtesy Bet365

The "-7" means that 7 points are taken away from Miami. If you subtract 7 from the Dolphins’ actual score in the game, and Miami still wins, you win a bet on the Dolphins. The +7 by Chicago is the same, but in reverse. If you add 7 to the Bear’s total score and they win as a result of it, a bet on the Bears would win.

The Total is the Over/Under bet, paying Over for a score of 35+, or Under for a score of less than 35.

The next confusing little number is the "(-110)". This means the online sportsbook will take a 10% commission on all winning bets. So what you’ll want to do is figure up how much you want to bet/win, then add 10%. Let’s say you want to win $50 on the spread, and another $50 on the Over/Under. You would need to wager $55 on each, for a total bet of $110.

Learn More About "Odds and Bet Types", and "Choosing the Right Sports Bet"