Four Ways Tech and Fast Internet Have Made Betting Smarter

14:04 25 June 2019

It’s strange to think that it wasn’t that long ago when betting consisted of a trip to the bookmakers’ shop, the filling in of a docket and, possibly, the process of checking the horse racing results the next day in the paper. Indeed, if the bet was a winning one, it would involve another trip to the bookmakers to collect the cash.

It’s obvious that the internet has made betting easier and faster, but it is perhaps overlooked how it has made it smarter – much smarter – than ever before. Below we look at five ways that ubiquitous internet access has given some advantages back to the punter.

Comparison

A high street bookmaker might be the only shop within a mile radius, perhaps even more, so how do you know you are getting the best price? You simply don’t, and, the high street bookmakers aren’t given much of an incentive to do so. Yet, we can compare prices online from dozens of betting sites in a matter of seconds. For example, we can find that the best-price for Juan Martin Del Potro to win Wimbledon is the 25/1 offered by 888sport, or that 8/1 is the highest price for Real Madrid to win the Champions League next year and so on. The fluctuations in the odds for online bookies can be a lot, so it really does make a difference.

Live Betting

Let’s go back to that magical night at Anfield when Liverpool put Barcelona to the sword in the Champions League Semi Final second leg. Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, few – including bookmakers – gave Liverpool a chance. Yet, when Divock Origi opened the scoring after seven minutes, one could sense that Barcelona were on the ropes, and the 4-0 defeat felt almost inevitable. Being able to react quickly to shifts in momentum is crucial to live betting. Fast internet connections allow the bookmakers to update the odds in real time, and for punters to react super quick to what’s going on before them. 

Datasets

Want to really beat the bookies? Well, you can visit the sagacious old man who drinks in your local pub, buy him a pint and ask for advice, or do what the experts do and study statistics and trends. Do you know, for example, that Man City average 50% more Premier League goals at home than away? Or that Altior has won his last five races by an average of 7 lengths? Those are just simple examples but using huge datasets can actually provide tangible results – and it’s all at your fingertips.

Expert Advice

Again, it’s unlikely that you are going to enter a bookmaker’s shop and ask the teller for advice on your next bet, but there are numerous ways to get expert opinions online. For a start, online bookmakers will have their own expert bloggers – don’t worry, they are objective – giving advice. But there is also a plethora of tipping sites as well as experts on social media. Often, you will find there are tools to track the historical success of these tipsters, allowing you to discern the best ones to follow.