Want to learn about the world of sports betting? Place a couple of bets on 20Bet and read about the types of bets that exist.
Sports betting is no longer just about predicting who will win a match. The world of betting is so diverse today that a newcomer can easily get lost among the different types of wagers. Let’s go through the options — from the most popular to those many people have never even heard of.
The Classics
The most familiar bets are match outcome bets. It’s simple: team A wins, team B wins, or it’s a draw. This option is popular with both beginners and seasoned players.
Another common category is totals. Here you bet not on the winner, but on the number of goals, points, or even fouls. For example, in football: “Over 2.5 goals in a match” or “Under 1.5.”
Then there are handicaps — a type of bet where one team is given a virtual advantage or disadvantage before the match starts. For example, if you bet on a team to win with a -1 handicap, they must win by at least two goals.
For those who like details, there are bets on specific events within a match: who will score first, whether there will be a penalty, or who will get a yellow card. Sometimes you can even bet on the timing of the first goal, such as “before the 15th minute.”
Popular, but Less Obvious
Many people know about betting on football, tennis, or hockey, but wagers are also placed on esports. Here, it works just like regular sports: team victory, map score, first kill, and so on. Tournaments for games like Dota 2 or CS:GO attract hundreds of thousands of viewers and millions of bets.
There are also long-term bets — on the outcome of an entire season or tournament. For example, who will become the football world champion, who will win the Champions League, or even who will be the tournament’s top scorer.
Another option is player statistics bets, like “LeBron James will score over 25 points in a game” or “Haaland will score a hat-trick.”
The Exotic Side Few Have Heard About
Betting has gone far beyond sports. For example, there are bets on shows and TV programs. You can wager on the winner of Eurovision or The Voice, and in the UK, you can even bet on who will become the next host of a famous TV show.
There are also completely unusual ones, such as:
- Competitive eating bets — who will eat a hot dog the fastest or who will eat the most burgers within a time limit.
- Weather bets — will it snow in London on Christmas.
- Political bets — who will become president, when early elections will be held.
- World record bets — will a new record be set in swimming or skydiving.
In some countries, you can even bet on whether a celebrity’s baby will be a boy or girl — and what name they’ll choose.
Where Sports and Non-Sports Overlap
Interestingly, bets on hot dog eating contests or speed-solving a Rubik’s Cube can technically be considered sports bets — because they involve competition. The “sport” here is unconventional rather than traditional.
In the end, betting today is a huge world where you can wager on almost anything that involves competition or an uncertain outcome. The main thing to remember is that betting should be entertainment, not a way to make money — otherwise, the fun can quickly disappear.