# Sports Betting For Beginners **Source:** https://wett-bonus.net/en/sports-betting-for-beginners **Language:** English --- Table of Contents Toggle # Sports betting beginners – Basics and tips for newcomers What advice can you give to someone who has never placed a sports bet before? Every beginning is difficult, which is why the following text contains important basics and tips that you should take to heart for your very first bet. ## The opponent Who are you betting against? Your main opponent is the bookmaker and, by extension, the odds compilers who set the odds for each betting site. Not every bookmaker assesses the chances of a specific event happening the same way, which is why odds usually vary among competing bookmakers. When choosing the bookmaker that suits you best, several other factors besides the odds also play an important role. ## Odds Key The payout ratio shows how much of the stakes the bookmaker pays back to customers as winnings across various leagues, sports, and matches. The value is under 100% – at 100%, the bookmaker wouldn't make a profit and couldn't provide services in the long run. The closer this value is to 100% (99% would be an example of extremely high odds), the more you can win from the bookmaker over time. However, this doesn't mean that a bookmaker with a lower payout percentage can't still offer the highest odds for specific events. ## Trustworthiness/Security/Betting tax Naturally, the bookmaker must also reliably pay out any betting winnings, and the deposits made should also end up in the registered betting account. By the way, wett-bonus.net only lists reputable bookmakers, and your money is in good hands with all providers. Security for deposits and withdrawals is guaranteed by an SSL encryption system – one of the highest security standards in the industry. The betting tax – which mostly has to be paid by customers from the Federal Republic of Germany – doesn't necessarily have anything to do with trustworthiness. If a bookmaker applies for the German license and wants to target the market, a 5% betting tax is due. If the company is publicly traded, a tax is usually levied as well – this is the only way to ensure transparency. However, if a betting provider is not present in the German media and has ambitions to become active here, they are happy to skip the betting tax. You can find detailed information on the topic of security and betting tax in the respective bookmaker review . ## Deposit and Withdrawal Methods There are numerous ways to deposit money into your betting account and cash out any winnings. Probably the most common deposit method is by bank transfer. However, bank transfers have gone out of style, not least because the bank processing time usually takes 3-5 working days, needlessly delaying the moment of your first bet. Much more attractive are deposit options where the funds are available to you immediately. These include all types of credit cards, e-wallets like Neteller or Skrill, Paysafecards, or deposits via instant bank transfer and EPS. With EPS, you can deposit money directly from your current account as long as you have your online banking codes handy. PayPal is pretty much the deposit method of choice on the German market. Many customers still have a PayPal account left over from the good old eBay days and want to use it for sports betting too. Legally speaking, a bookmaker needs a Schleswig-Holstein license to be able to offer PayPal to their end customers in Germany. ## Support and language If you are fluent in English, this criterion won't matter at all. If you prefer playing mainly in German and want to communicate with a German support team if needed, then the variety of languages is an important topic. When it comes to support, there are several ways to get in touch. Every single bookmaker offers email or an email form - the question here is, "How quickly do they deal with your request?". The big players offer 24/7 phone support and a live chat in German, meaning you can talk or write directly to an agent about your issue. ## Betting rules Every betting provider operates under a set of rules that dictate how they pay out winnings. While these betting rules are about 80% similar, there are subtle differences across various sports. Take tennis, for instance: what happens to your stake if a player has to retire due to injury? Some bookies refund the stakes, others make the validity of the bet dependent on the match progress (e.g., the bet stands once a full set has been played), and yet others declare the player who actually advances to the next round or is officially announced as the winner to be the victor. Make sure to check the betting rules for your favorite sport before opening an account. You can usually find the betting rules in the terms and conditions. ## Bonus The Betting bonus , the new customer bonus, the opening offer varies in amount (examples: 50% up to 50 euros, 100% up to 200 euros etc.), by respective wagering requirements in terms of quality (minimum odds, how often must the deposit amount plus bonus be wagered?) and availability (bonus is credited immediately after the first deposit, bonus is credited after the first settled bet, bonus is credited as a free bet, etc.). Now you've found your bookmaker – but you should still follow these tips! ## Bet types and sports: Stick to what you know! There are countless sports and types of bets. Terms like Asian Handicap, Scorecast bets, Game Winner, etc., quickly raise questions. That's why here is a tip. Feel your way quietly and slowly into your new hobby. Bet on sports you know and start by betting on the usual outcome of the game (1X2 for three-way bets or 12 for two-way bets). Manage your stakes and find a personal balance on how to bet sensibly within your financial means. ## High-quality bets – The dose makes the poison! Every successful sports bettor has at most a handful of good, sensible bets per day, or even per week depending on the season. Don't bet just for the sake of betting, and don't bet just because you want to follow the livescore at all hours of the day and night. No! Bet because you believe you have an edge in knowledge over the bookmaker. Study the betting program and filter out interesting betting markets that you can then examine more closely. ## Throw in some long-term bets! Long-term bets are bets that depend on the outcome of multiple sub-events. Example: Bayern Munich wins the Champions League. At the start of the Champions League season, this bet depends on all group matches as well as the outcome of the knockout rounds. The long-term bet offers more stable odds than a simple single bet on the outcome of a single match. And as the saying goes: It does not matter at all how Bayern Munich plays on the 17th matchday of the Bundesliga. At the end of the season, Munich will be right at the top. By placing a long-term bet (e.g., betting on a league champion), you reduce the risk by allowing the respective team to take a loss every now and then. ## Variety in betting instead of mindless betting habits The odds reflect a probability. The lower the odds, the more likely you are to win, but the more you have to stake to win amount X. So take a risk sometimes and bet on teams with odds beyond 2.0. Check the latest statistics, which team is on a roll and can keep it going. Here too, the balance between risky bets and so-called safe bets is crucial. ## Nobody wins EVERY bet Betting is a game of probabilities. If anyone tries to tell you that their bets always win, they are out of touch with reality. To bet successfully you also don't have to win every single bet, but rather achieve a certain percentage of profit by the end of a period (a month, a year). You place two bets at odds of 2.1 of 100 euros each. One bet wins (210 euros payout) and one bet loses (100 euros loss). With a total stake of 200 euros and a payout of 210 euros, you are left with a profit of 10 euros (210 euros minus 200 euros). Congrats, you've won. ## Time and money Do NOT go by the betting stories at the Sunday regulars' table where a buddy made a dream win for a stake of 1,000 euros. Go by your own wallet – you have all the time in the world to build up long-term betting profits that will also allow you higher stakes in the future. Successful betting is business, not just fun Sure thing, betting is the best pastime in the world – we can agree on that. But that doesn't mean you have to place a bet on every sporting event you're watching live. ## Betting is not a luxury good A cigarette with your beer is a wonderful combination. Placing a sports bet after your 10th beer just because you're feeling overconfident is simply reckless and will ruin you in the long run. Stay focused, pick your spots, and bet successfully.