Bonus: Our great sports betting glossary. Every bettor has been a newcomer. And as a newcomer we have to learn everything about betting. As the betting business is a huge business around the world there is a huge number of terms you have to learn. So we decided to create a betting glossary with more than 130 terms for you so there will be. Sports betting is the art of predicting the result of a certain sports match and placing a wager on how the game will end. Most major betting companies cater to every sport including major ones like football, American football, basketball, volleyball, boxing, mixed martial arts, and tennis.

1. Sports Betting Odds
2. The Art Of Sports Betting

Many may not be aware that betting on sporting events in the world has been practiced for centuries. Let’s be honest, as long as there are sports – sports betting will exist around the world despite bans in some countries. In this text, we’ll try to point out some pros and cons of legalizing sports betting.

Betting As A Mean Of Entertainment And A Way Of Making Profits

Today you can bet on almost all sports – but also many other things including phenomena from public life. All you have to do is go to the first sports betting place, study the offer and place a bet. Technological advances have made it possible for you to do the same from home, over the Internet, or by telephone – which is the last known phase of activity that has lasted for two hundred years.

History Of Sports Betting

The beginnings of professional sports betting are related to horse racing and England at the dawn of the 19th century. The English, however, organized the races much earlier. The inhabitants of the Island loved horses, races, and the excitement they bring with them – so they bet regularly, but more recreationally. More serious betting began only around 1800 when the organization of equestrian races was established.

What did it look like then?

In those times it was a bit different. The bettor would place a bet on the horse to the bookmaker and wait for the end of the race. Each bookmaker used to calculate the payout according to its own rules. The basic principles they were guided by were the assessment of the desired percentage of return to the players.

They also look at the assessment of the chances or mood of the players towards individual horses. During the betting, the bookmaker had to monitor the payment and, based on the mathematical calculation and assessment of the remaining payment – devise such quotas that will be to his advantage. However, if he happened to make a mistake in the budget – his odds would be small and neither the players nor he would be satisfied with them.

Sports Betting Today

Today, with the development of technology, everything is different. From the number of sports available for betting, to the precise setting of odds, to the way you can bet. Today you can go to sports betting places – but you can also bet online via the Internet by using your computers, tablets, or mobile phones. Mobile betting applications are one of the most important developing sectors in the last 10 years. Some sports bettings branches pay a lot of money to their players – but they certainly earn even more.

Many sports betting chains have expanded so much – that in some countries they have more branches than the tax administration. This is especially the case with European countries where this type of gambling is very popular – primarily because of soccer, which is one of the most popular sports on the old continent.

Legalization of Sports Betting – Yes or No?

Many US states are still not clear about the topic of legalizing sports betting. According to NJGamblingFun, some states like Tennessee are willing to share the profits from this lucrative business – while some other states are still claiming that sports betting should not be legalized. Where is the middle ground? Although you can see illegal bookmakers almost everywhere – this activity is still demonized in many places.

Even some European countries where this activity is legal – have decided to introduce certain restrictions when it comes to the payment of winnings, taxes, and salaries of sports bettings as well as their number. Will this have a large impact on the economy, sports, and human nature that loves ‘forbidden fruit’? We have tried to point out some of the reasons for and against the legalization of sports betting.

Pros

1. Sports Betting Is An Extremely Advanced Industry

The gambling industry is known as one of the most powerful in the world. And we don’t just mean Las Vegas with its flashy neon signs. In addition to those that are already well known to us – the illegal betting industry is also flourishing. According to some estimates, it is worth more than a hundred billion dollars. Today, the availability of betting has taken off so much that this industry seems stronger than ever.

Although after the decision of the US Supreme Court, each federal state has the opportunity to make its own decision on legalization – it must be recognized that its adoption may be an economically justified decision. Also, anyone who practices this type of entertainment will find it far easier to do so in a legally regulated environment.

2. The Economy Comes First

Legalizing sports betting would no doubt be a good boost for the economy. Namely, only the filling of the state treasury based on the collected tax could already show the potential of this activity to a considerable extent. Also, there are a large number of jobs that will be opened in this industry in case it is legalized.

Some estimates claim that between 125,000 and 150,000 new jobs could be opened in the US alone. Economists who have worked on the estimates – claim that this industry could bring the state revenues between 4 and 6 billion dollars in two years. Such potential should certainly not be overlooked.

Cons

3. One rule is the same everywhere: The house always wins!

Although many people took betting as a hobby, many of them have fallen into the real traps of sports betting and gambling. However, one rule applies everywhere: The house is always winning! If some people think that different rules apply in sports than in roulette or blackjack – they are wrong. The human factor cannot be ignored. To be even more specific – money spins everything. This means that a large amount of money began to flow into sports – as well as in gambling business.

This includes sports clubs, various competitions, and championships. We have heard of cases of rigged or sold matches many times. Proponents of the theory that legalization should not be approved also have this as an ace card up their sleeve. Also, there are sports betting statistics, which you shouldn’t blindly rely on – because surprises are always possible. The only statistic that is firmly established – is that the house almost always wins. Or at least certainly, much more than it pays off.

4. Commercializing In The Sports Area

The factual situation cannot be disputed here. Money is already largely determining the factors in sports, both on American and European soil. A large number of billionaires have invested their money in buying clubs and organizing tournaments. Many of them are sponsors of championships in tennis, football, and other sports. Money provides not only events – but also power. And power in sports should not be manifested financially but on the court.

Two years after a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court, the growth of the new legal sports betting market has exceeded many stakeholders' expectations and dramatically altered the relationship between sports leagues and the gambling industry.

More than $20 billion has been bet with U.S. sportsbooks since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 on May 14, 2018. The federal statute, commonly referred to as PASPA, had restricted regulated sports betting to primarily Nevada for 26 years, before being ruled unconstitutional.

Eighteen states -- representing just over 30% of the U.S. population -- now have regulated sports betting markets, with several more on deck. The District of Columbia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington and Virginia have passed legislation, and 16 additional states have active sports betting bills, according to the American Gaming Association. In the coming years, industry authorities expect more than half the states in the U.S. to offer legal sports betting.

Twelve states have approved full-scale online sports betting, including in Tennessee and Virginia, which will offer online wagering only. Of the $4.6 billion bet with New Jersey sportsbooks in 2019, approximately 84% of it was placed online.

Jeremy Kudon, a prominent lobbyist who includes professional sports leagues and gaming operators among his clients, said the speed and growth of the betting market -- especially online -- has been 'extraordinary.'

'I would have lost a lot of money, if I was given a chance to wager on whether non-gaming states, like Tennessee, Virginia and New Hampshire would legalize mobile sports betting in these first two years,' Kudon, a partner at the firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, told ESPN.

The major players in the U.S. gambling industry are changing, too. FanDuel and DraftKings, two companies who made their mark in daily fantasy sports, are now full-fledged bookmakers and online casino operators, who have earned giant shares of the New Jersey market, well ahead of more traditional gambling companies like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.

As the market grows, however, problem gambling experts are concerned that states are not considering the potential harm caused by addiction. An analysis by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) showed nine states that recently authorized sports betting did not dedicate any new funding to problem gambling services.

'Research indicates that anytime we introduce a new form of gambling we will simultaneously bring additional problems and concerns, thus requiring additional dollars,' Brianne Doura, legislative director for the NCPG, told ESPN. 'It is our stance that all stakeholders bear the responsibility to contribute to the research, prevention, treatment, and recovery of gambling addiction. If you profit from legalized gambling, you share the responsibility to pay for the negative consequences that can come from it.'

Sports Betting Odds

As new stakeholders in the gambling industry, the NFL, Major League Baseball and the PGA Tour are members of the NCPG, as well as the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. The leagues have quickly pivoted from their long-held objection to sports betting and are now actively participating in the industry, with sponsorship and marketing partnerships with gambling operators. The cooperation is likely to increase.

'I don't know if this is a specific trigger, but I would say that trajectory, even pre-COVID, had shown a level of willingness [from the sports leagues] to engage and at least understand what the industry is all about,' Matt Primeaux, president of sportsbook operator FOX Bet, said. 'I would expect that to continue.'

The Art Of Sports Betting

Fox, Barstool Sports and the Score are among the media companies that have or will soon launch branded sportsbooks. ESPN has a sports betting-focused partnership with Caesars Entertainment, and CBS Sports has partnered with sportsbook operator William Hill U.S.

All stakeholders will be playing close attention to state legislatures that may accelerate sports betting initiatives to generate new revenue to help mitigate losses caused by the pandemic. On Wednesday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported $2.6 million in sports betting revenue in April, an 87.6% decrease from April 2019.

'When legislatures return in earnest, we firmly believe the number of states ready to consider accelerating mobile sports betting and online gaming legislation to drive tax revenue will expand substantially,' Matt King, CEO of FanDuel, told ESPN. 'And we also see the industry recognizing this is a unique moment in time, and working more collaboratively to set aside minor differences and get bills across the finish line. Across the board, it's a time for pragmatism, and we see that producing a real opportunity for significantly expanding the map.'