Sports betting has been taking place for many years, the most popular of which being horserace betting. However since the advent of online sports betting sites, soccer betting has increased dramatically and has become a worldwide phenomenon that is worth billions each year. It is currently estimated that the sports match betting industry (online and offline) is worth between $700 billion and $1 trillion per annum, and soccer betting accounts for almost 70% of this.
Soccer Betting History
Soccer Betting and particularly the Football Pools started almost 90 years ago in England. This is a soccer betting market where soccer betting fans fill in weekly coupons to predict the winner of the upcoming Saturday’s soccer match. The earliest recorded winner being Viv Jackson in 1961, who won a £152,000 jackpot, the equivalent of almost £5 million today. More than 500,000 people still play these pools in the UK today.
Rise in Technology equals rise in Soccer Betting
With the dramatic increase in technology and the accessibility of information and watching games live as they happen has come a sharp growth of the soccer betting industry. People can tune in from all over the world through their mobiles, PC’s, tablets, TV’s and laptops and watch the matches as well as bet on the outcome online. At most reputable bookmakers up to 200 different types of soccer betting markets are available, not just the traditional win, lose or draw markets. This access to instant information has also led to “in-running” soccer betting where soccer betting enthusiasts can place their bets as the game is happening and base their decisions on the current pattern of play. For example; who will score the next goal?
Soccer Betting in South Africa
In South Africa, sports betting and in particular soccer betting rose by 71.3% in 2012, with increases taking place each year. A large portion of this is attested to soccer betting on the Absa Premiership matches and it is expected that sports betting will overtake horserace betting over the next 5 years. (Source: National Gambling Board of South Africa, PwC LLP, Wilkofsky)
Join in the excitement by placing your soccer bets on the next upcoming Barclays Premier League and Absa Premiership matches today.
For specialized and comprehensive local and international soccer betting or betting on horse racing, rugby, tennis, golf and motorsport, as well as extensive in house and online sports betting facilities, visit Keith Ho BetXchange for the most competitive prices and the largest sports betting options available in South Africa.
