Those of us associated with sports betting regularly probably recognize that in truth, there was never really any "start" point when individuals began betting on sports. It seems pretty natural to place some kind of wager whenever there is a contest between two different sides, whether or not it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

In reality, there are records to show that as long as there are already matches between people, on any side, you'll find individuals 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 when they are watching a competition.

Today, of course, sports betting is much more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All over the world, bookmakers both small and big follow a number of different systems which permit them to earn money off of people's penchant for punting. Whether we have been speaking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you'll be able to find someone prepared to take your wager.

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

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

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

The story of sports betting involves not only book makers, but in addition the law. You are probably acquainted with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and may behave violently when not paid. However, there are plenty of 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 as well, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer amount of cash being bet on the outcome of games, it can be tempting for players to forget about competition in favor of a bribe or any other sort of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games to be able to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws such as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act look to prevent this from happening by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Simply, the next chapter within the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses that have capitalized on the opportunities available excellent online gambling. Bettors in North America no longer need to make the trip to Vegas to be able to put some cash down on their favorite team; instead, the capability to wager is simply a click of the mouse away.

Not simply are more people able to wager on sports through the Internet, the amount of information available increases the chances of making good bets in a way which has never been seen before. As always, the information also means that books are able to compensate, although the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) are still out there.

It's safe to state that betting on sports is a thing that has happened throughout human history, and an element that will happen as long as there are actually competitions between people. Today, the web has taken the story of sports betting to the next level; the end of that chapter has yet to be written!