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When it comes to sports betting, fans will always find a way to place their bets — and the best way to do so. The history of sports betting is a long one, and although the practice was relatively unchanged for centuries, over the last several decades technology has dramatically changed it for everyone involved. (Still, have no fear — the traditional ways of sports betting remain for those who wish to do it the old-fashioned way.)
Below you’ll find a brief history of sports betting and some of the more recent ways that technology has changed sports betting for football fans.
A Brief History of Sports Betting
Although it’s hard to determine specifically when it began, the practice was extremely common in Ancient Rome, for example, where Romans would place bets at the circus or on chariot races. In more recent times, betting on horse races became common in the UK in the 18th century. By the 19th century, sports betting picked up in the US and Canada (among others). By the 20th century, you could find sports betting worldwide for virtually any game. Bets were typically placed in person, and later, over the phone. But by the end of the 20th century, the introduction of the internet — and widespread access to it — started to change the practice of sports betting forever.
The Internet and Sports Betting
Before the internet, fans would have a harder time collecting information that would aid them in placing their bets. Now, fans don’t have to watch or listen to every game, or read about it in the paper — all they have to do is Google it. They can instantly access stats on every team and player in the league, match analysis, match highlights or replays, and anything else they might want to know. That’s a lot of information that anyone can easily access at any moment (without a sports book).
After learning as much as they can, fans can then use this knowledge to help them place bets online — another big change to sports betting. This is one of the biggest ways that technology has changed sports betting over the years. State and country borders mean nothing here, because the internet is borderless. Want to place a bet on a match in another country? You can do so quickly and easily without having to physically be present. You can also bet on a much wider range of games. No matter what you’re looking to place a bet on, from a university match to an amateur match to the Premier League, you’ll find somewhere to do it online.
Another way the internet has changed sports betting is through the availability of sports betting games. Thanks to the internet, fans can now play sports betting games online that allow them to experience the thrill of betting on a live football game without actually doing so. This is a great option to have if you’re in need of a little practice and want to strengthen your skills for real-match betting. For example, in Live Football Studio, the world of football and live sports betting is perfectly captured in a fast-paced game where you simply bet on a Home Win, an Away Win, or a Draw. The rules might be simple, but just like with other casino games and real-life match betting, if you want to improve, you’ll need to work on your strategy.
Besides playing sports betting games, fans can also place bets on sports video games. This should come as no surprise to gamers, as eSports is a multi-billion dollar industry. For example, football fans can now place bets on their favorite virtual teams or gamers, whether as another way to engage with sports betting or as a way to practice for real-life match betting.
Over the last several decades, the internet has greatly changed the world of sports betting, from how and where bets are placed, to the introduction of new ways to engage with sports betting such as through gaming and video games. As technology continues to rapidly evolve, we’ll likely see more changes to sports betting in the very near future.