Sports betting has been taking place for centuries, but the concept of live stakes is relatively new. Since the dawn of the digital age, ease of access to online bookmakers and the speed of the betting process have seen live markets increase exponentially.
But what is live betting and what should you look out for if you want to get involved?
The Basic Concept
As the name suggests, live betting takes place on a sporting event after the match has started. It’s also referred to as in-play betting as the customer literally stakes while the game is ‘in-play.’
The majority of betting markets listed pre-match will carry over into the live arena until they are settled or the game comes to a close. For example, in a football match, customers can still bet on the match result until the final whistle is blown.
Most of the side markets such as Both Teams To Score, Total Goals and First Goalscorer will also be published on the live platforms. In-play betting also offers markets that cannot be accessed pre-match. In football, the Next Player to Score bet is available, while cricket lists the Next Batter to be Dismissed.
While the concept and the betting options are similar between pre-match and live betting, each discipline requires a completely different approach.
Why It’s Popular
Live betting is popular for three key reasons. Firstly, it’s carried out at a faster pace than the pre-match alternative. Those who get involved see it as a perfect partner to all the thrills and excitement of live sport.
It may also be possible to find longer odds in the live markets. If, for example, you want to bet on a soccer team, but they conceded an early goal, their price to win the match will increase. As a student of the game, you may be aware that your preferred team has a good ratio of winning after falling behind, and this is one area where it may be possible to take advantage.
In-play markets also test your skills as a sports analyst. If you are able to watch a game live, you can assess the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent. Maybe one has greater stamina and is more likely to come through in the final stages.
All of these aspects continue to make live betting a popular option at any sportsbook.
The Key Essentials
Those who intend to take live betting seriously should be prepared for the different ways in which the process works. It’s a fast-paced area of the sports betting industry, and patterns of play can see those in-play odds change in a fraction of a second.
Live bettors will, therefore, ensure that they have their mobile devices on hand wherever they go. We can’t always be sat in front of our desktop or laptop, so betting on mobile is the best option for the live markets.
Mobile devices also help us take advantage of those odds, but we need to ensure that those phones are updated regularly whenever a software upgrade is released, and the internet connection has to be equally fast.
In summary, you have to be fully prepared before getting involved with live betting as a slow connection or poor-quality equipment could be costly.
Study the Stats
Like all forms of sports betting, live markets require high levels of research, but your knowledge is even more important when a game is in-play. Ahead of a match, it’s easy to access the views of tipsters and experts who advise on results and other elements of the game.
Many tipsters have good records and may be worth following, but you cannot access those views when the contest is live. This means that you have to act on your own instincts and judgment. We’ve mentioned the need for insightful analysis, but external help is also at hand.
Many websites publish a wide range of important statistics relating to various sports and the players taking part. Football carries the most extensive set of figures, but there is information in place for cricket, rugby, tennis, golf and much more.
These can, for example, tell you about fast or slow starters. Perhaps a certain golfer tends to peak in the final two rounds of the event. They may be down the field at the halfway point, but those statistics could hint at a later recovery.
This is just one example of stats providing useful information that can aid live betting at an advanced level. They may not be an essential key to success, but that information is important to many who take the in-play markets seriously.
Live staking offers an interesting twist on conventional sports betting. Anyone can get involved, but it’s important to take time to learn the basics, while understanding the techniques that could turn those live odds in your favour.