6 Surprising Facts about Gambling and Sports Betting
We all occasionally enjoy placing a bet on our favorite team, playing a round of poker with our friends, or putting a wager with them on whether anyone can throw an empty bottle into a trash can from 5 meters away. But how much do we know about this activity that seems to be part of our everyday lives?
These fun and surprising facts about sports betting will help you understand betting a little better, or a little less, and definitely surprise you since some of them are a bit strange and unexpected.
1 Gambling and sports betting is much older than you might assume
We can trace gambling as an activity all the way back to the Paleolithic period, better known as The Old Stone Age. That means that before humans invented the wheel, they sure did know how to gamble.
Physical evidence of gambling is found throughout different historical periods. There are six-sided dice dating back from around 3000 BC found in Mesopotamia, while ancient Asia is filled with evidence of betting on different sports activities, mostly involving animals, sadly.
2 Many historical figures were passionate bettors
Many influential people that we know and admire were intense gamblers and bettors.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, the famous Russian novelist, was a gambler who felt strongly that this activity was a great source of inspiration. One of his masterpiece novels, called The Gambler, is about his gambling passion.
George Washington was a massive betting fanatic. He was so into betting on racehorses that he even bred his own racer ponies. The Father of His Country even found a betting buddy – Thomas Jefferson who, like George loved betting on races.
King Henry VIII was a big card and dice player as well as a bettor on archery and jousting sports that were popular at the time. However, not only was he an intense player, he is probably the biggest loser of all time. It is said that his losing streak lasted for about two years. In that time, he managed to squander an amount that could be measured in millions by today’s standards. The Womanizer King also managed to lose the bells of St. Paul Church in one dice roll.
3 The United Kingdom is the leading country in sports betting
Henry VIII isn’t the only Brit who was passionate about betting. Brits are highly enthusiastic about sports and betting on sports, especially soccer, which is the most important secondary thing in life.
The UK also offers some of the best bookmaking services in the world.
You can find the best betting service providers in the United Kingdom on bettingspot.co.uk.
4 Several sports are popular for betting in different countries
Club soccer is the most popular sport for betting worldwide. Europe is the center of this sport, and Europeans are into betting on soccer the most. Leading countries in Europe are the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France – all countries with the biggest soccer clubs globally.
In the United States, however, American football is the favorite betting sport for regular bettors. Basketball, on the other hand, is the most popular choice for first-time bettors.
These stats are not a surprise since the NFL and the NBA are two of the most-watched leagues in the United States, while on the other side of the pond, soccer is almost like a religion.
5 One quarter of new bets are placed live
Live betting or in-game betting is becoming vastly popular across the globe. Novice bettors are becoming more and more attracted to live betting on the events during the game, like who makes the next field goal or which team gets the next free-kick.
The biggest reason for the appeal of live betting is its accessibility via mobile platforms and popular smart apps.
Modern bettors can track multiple games and make instant bets on several ongoing events, which makes betting easier than ever.
6 Bettors in the United States bet more than UK bettors
It appears that Americans are much more generous than Brits regarding the amount of money they stake on a bet. Statistics say that Americans stake 40% more than bettors in the UK.
Several factors could exaggerate this number – the fact that live bets are more common in the UK (and live bets are usually small) and exchange rates between currencies.
Nevertheless, 40% is a big number, and Americans are known as big spenders.
The final word
Betting as an activity is much older than one might assume, has always been a popular leisure exercise, and is becoming more and more appealing every year.
Modern technology is opening new betting methods on sports that are attracting new casual bettors both in the United States and Europe.
The stats don’t lie – the betting market is bigger than ever.
