Those of us associated with sports betting frequently probably understand that in truth, there was never really any "start" point when people began betting on sports. It seems pretty natural to place some kind of wager whenever there's a contest between two different sides, whether it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

In reality, you will discover records to show that as long as there happen to be matches between people, on any side, you can find men and women who want to add some excitement to the competition through wagering. From the gladiatorial contests in ancient Rome to foot races on North America's Great Plains, all cultures have put bets involving money or goods once they are watching a competition.

Today, of course, sports betting will be much more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All around the world, bookmakers both small or large follow many different systems which permit them to make money off of people's penchant for punting. Whether we have been talking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you're going to be able to find someone willing to take your wager.

It's vital to realize that the story of sports betting is simply as much about these "middle men" than it is about the sport one is betting on. Bookies setup their odds based upon very complex mathematical formulas, which help them to find out how they may make money off of people's bets. They do not want too much "action" (money wagered) on one side or another, in order to avoid losing their profit. As a result, they have thought up ways to encourage people to bet on each side.

One of those ways is to offer higher payouts in the event the team receiving less bets win. People that take the "underdogs" stand to win a great deal more money per dollar bet than individuals that take the favorites.

Similarly, the point spread is used to encourage betting on both sides of any given match. Both methods enable the sports books to come out of each match with some cash.

The story of sports betting involves not just book makers, but also the law. You're probably familiar with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and address here will behave violently when not paid. Conversely, there are various legal, above board sports books today who are legally sanctioned to take sports bets. In North America, all of these books run out of Las Vegas.

In other areas of the world, sports betting is legal but is also highly regulated. Governments, and sports bodies also, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer amount of money being bet on the outcome of games, it may be tempting for players to forget about competition in favor of a bribe or any other type of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games so that you can receive money from a bookmaker. Laws for example the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act aim to prevent this from occurring by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Remember, the next chapter in the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses that have capitalized on the opportunities available online. Bettors in North America no longer need to make the trip to Vegas as a way to put some cash down on their own favorite team; instead, the ability to wager is just a click of the mouse away.

Not simply will be more people able to wager on sports over the Internet, the total amount of information available increases the prospects of making good bets in a way which has never been seen before. Keep in mind, the information also implies that books are able to compensate, although the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) remain out there.

It's safe to state that betting on sports is one thing that has happened throughout human history, and something that shall happen as long as you'll find competitions between people. Today, the internet has taken the story of sports betting to the next level; the end of that chapter has yet to be written!