In this short guide, we’ll tell you how to start betting on sports. There are many bookmakers around the world and in Zambia in particular, but the basic principles are the same for all of them.
Briefly: how to bet on sports
- Register your account on the sport betting site.
- Verify your identity. The procedure is different in different bookmakers, but they give detailed instructions on their websites and by phone.
- Deposit money into the account. This is called “making a deposit”.
- Choose an event and outcome on which to bet.
- Learn the limits – bookmakers set the maximum and minimum bet amount
- Bet as much as you like, within the limits.
- If your bet wins, you can withdraw money in any convenient way that is available on the site
Some sports betting sites do not require personal verification. Unfortunately, some sports betting sites are dishonest. For a detailed rating of trusted betting sites, see Bookmaker Ratings.
Basic concepts in betting
Bookmakers and punters use specific terms in their work: bet, event, outcome, line and others.
A bet is your prediction backed by money.
An interactive bet is the amount of money a player deposits in an online betting account with a bookmaker. The account itself, where the online game is played, is called a deposit.
Bets are placed on the outcome of an event – usually a sporting match. Bets are also placed on non-sports or public life – an event may be a Formula One race, a biathlon race, an election or the birth of an English heir to the throne.
The outcome is the way the event will end. For example, a football match can end in a win for the first team, a draw or a win for the second team.
The line is the number and types of outcomes. The main outcomes are quickly available at the bookmaker – they are called the main line. The main line necessarily includes a win for the first team, a draw and a win for the second team. Clicking on a match card opens the additional outcomes. If you see a lot of outcomes you are in the “wide line”, if not – you are in the “detailed line”.
Odds. The bookmaker assigns odds to each outcome. The bookmakers themselves determine how much money we will win if we guess the outcome. The ratio of the possible winnings to the bet is called the betting odds.
These are basic concepts that will be useful to the beginner in sports betting. Choose only reliable betting sites on Bookmaker Ratings Zambia!
