Sports Betting: The Beauty of Online Wagering
By Loot, Sports Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
To fully grasp the convenience of online betting, one should reflect on how people bet sports prior to the advent of online sports wagering. Bettors had to rely on a local bookie or travel to the precious few places where sports wagering was permissible. Both of those choices had more than their share of drawbacks.
There have certainly been some dependable bookies out there throughout the years. At the same time, there was always a shady element to it. Bookies could be flaky. They could be scary guys who were connected. Any number of unpleasant things could ensue as a result of working with a bookie. And whatever his line was, that’s what you took. There was no ability to find the best line for your bet. And if the bookie offered credit, you could get in trouble and end up with your thumbs broken.
Then there was always Nevada. With all due respect to the state, it’s in the middle of nowhere and even those who live relatively close still had to travel pretty far to be in a town where sports betting could be done legally. Sure, sportsbooks are a good way to go. You make a bet and if you win, you get your money right there. No hassle.
But for those of us who bet on sports as part of our lifestyles, what were we supposed to do, move to Vegas? Drive 10 hours every time we want to place bets? It’s great when we’re there and able to take advantage of sports betting being legal. It’s just that we couldn’t be there all the time.
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Even in Vegas, there are drawbacks. Nowadays, those casinos are like mini-cities. If you like a football team and it was -3.5 at the hotel you are staying at, you could go look elsewhere. But whatever you saved on the bet, you would end up spending on baby powder to relieve the chafing that ravaged your inner-thighs. For those of us who have walked miles looking for a half-point break on the spread can attest that online is the way to go.
If you are sports-bettor with a few or several accounts open, you can do anything a normal sports bettor can do--just from the comfort of your home. No trips to Vegas. No weird meet-ups with your bookie. You can literally roll out of bed and place bets. Technically, you don’t even need to leave the bed.
Sports bettors now have zero overhead. We might kick butt in sports in Vegas, but we also have to pay for all the other things you need on a vacation and it’s not terribly cheap in today’s Vegas. No more walking around like Moses in the Sahara to find the best line. That can now be done with a few mouse-clicks.
Sure, it’s nice to collect immediately. For some bettors, that counts for a lot. That’s why a lot of guys are willing to drive across the Mojave Desert just so they can immediately collect if they win. Then again, if you’re betting on a -110 line in Vegas, it might as well be -200 after you figure in your expenses and effort.
Online wagering lets you circumvent all the unpleasantness that weighed down bettors for years. The major one being that it was a hassle to bet on sports. Now while it is understandable for a betting man to want immediate payment, it’s hardly reason to subject yourself to all the work that requires. That’s why people who even live in Vegas bet online.
When dealing with a reputable online book, you really don’t need to sweat the money component. If the top books made getting your hands on your money that hard, well, they wouldn’t be a top online book in the first place. Sure, there can be a mental disconnect when your money is represented by a number on the screen. There is a funny feeling that might accompany having your money is some faraway location. But just remember, when dealing with a book endorsed on this site, you’re going to get paid and it’s going to be in a businesslike timeframe.
Once we get past some of the mental hurdles associated with online betting, we see that it is really the way to go. Other options exist, but require so much effort from the bettor. Once you try online wagering and start collecting payment, you’ll wonder what took you so long to jump aboard.
