So You Want to Bet Online
If you're a sports fan, and perhaps even dabbed with the big board in Vegas, you've
probably at one point or another played around with the thought of betting
online. It's easy, you can do it from the comfort of your own home and there are more
wagering options than hairs on Vlade Divac's chest. Of course, if you're new
to the online gambling thing or just new to this crazy online idea in
general(what is this inter-net you speak of?), there are a few things you should keep in mind.
The Convenience of Wagering on Sportsbooks Online
Gone are the days of neighborhood bookies, thousand dollar limits and drives to Vegas just to
get a halftime line. With the internet, you can place large action on an array of different
wager types, from
NFL lines to the over/under on sequels
to "Under Siege," all while wearing your pajamas. And yes, "Under Siege 3" is in production. Did
you think anything can stop Steven Seagal from making terrifically horrible movies? There's
nothing like turning to USA and seeing Steven Seagal toss swords at escaping villains from
second story windows.
Sportsbook Money Transactions
Money transactions depend on the site. For the most part, every site offers third party cash
exchange services, as well as credit and bank transactions. However, each site puts different
bonuses and deposit limits depending on the method. Things like, "NETeller
deposits grant you a 20%
bonus, credit card deposits come with a $1,000
fee." Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), each
sportsbook has their own
preferred method and they try to steer you toward it. I have my own preferred method, it's called
spending money you don't have and praying you win.
Diverse Sportsbook Betting Options
Online
sportsbooks offer the most
betting options in the
world. On top of lines for all major sports, you have game props, futures, if bets, action points,
teasers, cross sport parlays, chimps on roller skates; basically action in any way imaginable.
Theoretically, you can probably take a game,
bet on every quarter, every
player and every team prop and the coin toss. Which reminds me of one Super Bowl where I
did just that and twenty minutes into the game my head exploded.
Make Sure Your Sportsbook is Legitimate
Remember when Mike Tyson bit off Evander Holyfield's ear and every boxing commission in
the known universe deemed him mentally incapable to fight? That's what regulatory agencies
do; when someone goes bananas and starts biting ears off, they set the rules to make sure it
doesn't happen again. Gaming commissions are also built on the same concept of anarchy
prevention.
These rules, of course, are under state and federal law, which have absolutely nothing to
do with internet sportsbooks, because they are based offshore
Consequently, there is no single gaming commission overseeing the industry. So if Mike Tyson
was an internet gambling manager, he could bite your ear, your neighbor's
ear and eat Lennox Lewis' children and still keep his job. In other words, make sure your
sportsbook's legit before mortgaging your future.