Ultimate Guide to Sports Betting Online - Understanding Sports Betting on Stake
Sports fans are genuinely spoiled for choice when it comes to online sports gambling, and Stake Sportsbook is the perfect platform for all sports. You can bet on a huge variety of different events, from NFL football games and the Australian Open tennis to the biggest international Esports tournaments. Find out what to expect and how to get started in this ultimate guide to sports betting.
What is Sports Betting & History?
Sports betting is a relatively simple concept. You predict the outcome of a sporting contest, staking money to back your prediction. If you win, you get your money back, plus any profits as dictated by the odds. On the other hand, if you lose, you’ll lose your stake.
Throughout history, people have bet on sports. People used to gather at stadia in Ancient Rome to place bets on gladiatorial bouts and chariot races, and it has continued to this day, albeit on different sports!
Bookmakers, also known as sportsbooks or bookies, set the betting odds and take wagers from sports fans. They also pay out the profits, but keep any wagers from losing bets.
Today, an increasing number of sports bets are placed online. As global connectivity increased, online sportsbooks have become the most convenient and accessible option.
Stake.com was founded in 2017 and has become the leading online casino and sports betting site. It offers sports fans the perfect opportunity to back their favourite teams using local currency and cryptocurrencies on desktop and mobile devices.
How to Bet on Sports Online?
Getting started at Stake Sportsbook and online wagering generally couldn’t be easier. If you’re new to sports betting, here are the simple steps that you need to follow to get started:
Create a free account. If you haven’t done so, create a free account at Stake.com by entering your details and email address.
Search for the event. Use the sports menu in our sportsbook or the search feature to discover upcoming and live events, or simply browse the most popular events on the homepage.
Place your bets. Open the event you want to bet on to see the full range of sports betting markets. Select any to add to your bet slip. Remember, you can also combine multiple bets into one to increase the odds.
Watch the match. Stake offers live streams on a variety of popular sports. Simply select the live icon to watch the free stream.
Withdraw your winnings. If your bet is successful, all that’s left to do is withdraw and enjoy your winnings. It’s as simple as that!
What Sports Can You Bet on?
Stake covers a massive range of sports and sporting events taking place throughout the year. All the most popular sports are available to bet on, as well as some more niche options. Whatever kinds of sports you enjoy, you’re sure to find plenty of betting opportunities here at Stake.
Popular Sports to Bet on
Some of the most popular sports to bet on right now include:
Ice Hockey: Stake.com is home to multiple NHL markets, offering puck line bets and other betting options on all games, including the Stanley Cup Finals. You’ll also find odds on European hockey at Stake, such as the SHL and KHL. Discover our hockey betting guide for more tips and tricks!
Formula 1 (F1): Back the best racers and teams from around the globe, including our very own Stake F1 Team, as you watch the action unfold on the track. You can also learn more with our F1 betting guide.
Simulated Reality Leagues (SRLs): Betting on SRLs is becoming a popular form of online betting on simulated sports such as virtual soccer and virtual cricket. It's a great way to get amongst the betting action when the conventional major events and seasons aren't running. Learn more about how to bet on SRLs with our Simulated Reality League betting guide.
Types of Sports Bets
You also need to think about the popular types of sports bets that you can place at Stake.com, as there are lots of common types of bets to choose from. The most popular types of bets include:
Moneyline: A moneyline bet is a simple wager on which team or player will win the match. There’s no option for a draw with this betting market, as games are either settled in overtime or a draw will result in your stake being returned.
1x2: A 1x2 bet type, also known as a threeway bet, allows you to bet on three possible outcomes. 1 refers to the home win, x refers to the draw, and 2 refers to the away win. To learn more about 1x2/three-way betting, check out our detailed 1x2 betting guide for more examples.
Handicap: A handicap bet, also known as a point spread bet, is where the favourite is given a handicap that they must overcome to win the bet. Equally, the underdog is typically given a head start. Asian and European handicap bets are different markets that you can select at Stake.com. Learn more about handicap betting with our helpful guides on these sports spread bets.
Quarters/Half/Full Time: An excellent way to split up your betting slip is to bet on outcomes in quarters or halves, depending on the sport. For instance, you could bet on the number of touchdowns in the first quarter of an NFL game.
Over/Under: Also known as a totals bet, an over/under wager is where you bet on the total number of goals or points to be scored in a game, above or below a specific number. Our over/under betting guide explains this in more detail. Meanwhile, Asian totals give you the option of betting on quarter totals.
Winning Margin: Winning margin bets are popular in sports like basketball and soccer, enabling you to bet on how many points or goals a team will win by. Learn more about sports betting margins with our guide.
Prop (Proposition) & Player Props: Prop betting is placed on an event or game that isn't tied directly to the outcome. This can be placed on the game, team, or individual players. Player props allow you to bet on players’ performance on the field. For instance, a soccer player’s prop could be whether or not a specific player will score in a game. Learn more about this type of bet with our prop betting guide.
Correct Score: If you have a particularly good feeling about how a game will end, you can place a correct score bet on a whole host of sports at Stake.com.
Futures and Outrights: A futures or outright bet is a wager on an outcome that won’t occur in the upcoming game week. So, for instance, you can place a bet on a team to win a championship or an event at the end of the season. Check out our outright betting guide for more information.
Parlay: You can also parlay your bets by combining multiple bets into one! What’s more, some matches offer the same game multibet markets, allowing you to create a same-game parlay.
Exotic Bets: Exotic bets are placed on horse racing events and greyhound racing, allowing the bettor to wager on more than one race at the same time. Check out our betting glossary to learn the most important horse racing terms.
Unique Bets & Strategies: There are a multitude of unique betting options online. If you're looking for new betting options, read our guides to teaser betting, treble bets, and round robin betting. You can also check out our guide to progressive betting strategies to help you develop a betting method that works best for you.
Learn about potential returns and payouts to help you decide which bet to place by calculating the Expected Value. Read our guide to EVs for more information. We also recommend reading our glossary on key betting terms if you're a beginner to wagering on sports.
How to Read & Understand Sports Betting Odds
There are several types of odds in the sports betting industry that you need to be aware of, and you can adjust the settings in your account to view the odds in the way you choose. Odds show you the implied probability of an outcome and allow you to calculate your potential payout. You can find out more about how to read odds and the difference between decimal, fractional, and American odds in our guides. Here are some quick examples of how these odds work and how to calculate your potential payout:
Decimal Odds
Sometimes known as European odds, decimal odds are straightforward to understand. Simply multiply your stake by the odds to calculate the return. Subtract your stake at the end to work out your profit. For example:
Justin Thomas to win the golf Masters (12.00)
Here, you must place a 1.00 bet to return 12.00 (profit of 11.00) if you fancied Justin Thomas to win a green jacket at the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Fractional Odds
Like decimal odds, the fractional odds are pretty easy to understand and are typically used by UK-based sportsbooks. To calculate your payout, multiply your stake by the numerator (the top number of the fraction) and then divide the result by the denominator (the bottom number). For example:
Arsenal to win the Premier League title 3/1
In this example, you would need to bet 1.00 to return 4.00 (3.00 profit) if you fancy Arsenal to win the English Premier League title.
American Odds
American odds show a plus or minus followed by a number. For positive odds, the number tells you how much you’d win with a $100 bet. When looking at negative odds, the number tells you how much you need to bet to make $100 profit. For instance:
Cincinnati Bengals (+140) vs Cleveland Browns (-135)
Here, the Browns are the favourites for this NFL fixture, as we can see by the negative odds, while the Bengals are underdogs due to their positive odds.
Now, if you fancy the Browns, you would need to place a 135.00 bet for a profit of 100.00, while a 100.00 bet on the Bengals would return a profit of 140.00.
Live Betting vs. Pre-Match Betting
From Snooker to Soccer, Stake's online betting site offers the ability to place bets on upcoming events, as well as in-play wagers whilst watching the games live. Live betting is a fun, exciting way to get amongst the action of your favourite teams, players, and sports, and often allows for different bet types such as half-time or quarter-time scores. In-play betting hosts a variety of promotions and opportunities to take advantage of after the event has started. However, the odds will change quickly as the action happens, so you may need to move fast to get the best value.
In contrast, in pre-match betting, wagers are placed before the event has started. This allows bettors to do their research on betting markets and place their bets on upcoming games. Pre-match betting odds will fluctuate far less than live betting, however can still vary due to the number of bets placed on the outcome.
While betting on sports, you can also enjoy the action as it happens. Our live streaming services are always free, so you can enjoy the action whilst placing your bets! Watching the game is a great way to gain better insights into what’s happening and place successful bets. Learn more about how to watch live streams of your favourite sports for free online at Stake. If live streaming is available, you’ll see the live icon, which you can select to begin your live viewing experience.
Sports Betting Strategies, Tips & Tricks
Whether you're a sports betting expert or looking for starting advice for beginners, we have a range of sports betting tips and predictions online at Stake. Here are some general betting tips you can follow to help you pick more winners than losers:
Always research and look for stats relating to form injuries and past performances to help inform your betting slip.
Bet with your head and not your heart! It’s best to avoid the team you support on your betting slip, as it’s difficult to be objective. Analyse the variety of betting options available and place your bets according to the latest odds and markets.
Don’t just bet on significant events. For instance, if you’re an American football fan, consider betting on unique sports like college football alongside the NFL for more variety in your betting slip. Some more unique sports you can check out include darts, Gaelic football, surfing, futsal, floorball,water polo, and lots more!
Combine both pre-match and live betting tactics. As mentioned above, there are advantages to placing bets before and during particular sporting events. Any keen sports bettor should keep an eye on the betting odds and consider the betting lines as soon as they are published, and decide whether the odds are in their favour.
Stake makes it as straightforward as possible to sign up and start placing bets. That includes the payment process, which is fast and secure. You can choose between a variety of deposit methods and payment options to add funds and withdraw your winnings. Here’s how:
Sports Betting Bonuses & VIP Club Promotions & Responsible Gambling
After creating an account at Stake.com, be sure to check your account regularly for the latest sports betting bonuses and promotions that you can use to your advantage. These can include free bets, cashback offers, and bet boosters to increase your chances of winning. Read our guide to the best Sportsbook promotions happening right now!
