In-play betting, also referred to as live or in-game betting, is an exhilarating feature offered by most contemporary sportsbooks. In a nutshell, it allows bettors to place bets while a sports event is taking place, from the very start, up to its end. Football betting devotees are enabled to place bets on their favorite teams from the moment the referee whistles for kick-off, till the last minute.
The first live bets were placed roughly at the end of the twentieth century and they were limited only to sports events of great magnitude. While in-play bets were initially placed over the telephone, contemporary technologies have revolutionized the gambling industry, and nowadays bettors prefer to place wagers primarily online. Furthermore, the advent of smartphone technology has made in-play betting even more convenient and easily accessible.
In-Play Football Betting ExplainedEver since its inception, the in-game betting industry has flourished, becoming the favorite manner of placing online bets to millions of sports betting aficionados. Similar to pre-match betting on football, the in-play betting markets on this extremely popular sport garner a large portion of punters’ attention.
In-Play Football Betting Explained
As we have already mentioned, live football betting is an extremely popular feature enabling bettors to punt on matches while they are in progress, thus increasing the number of betting markets available.
In the very beginning of in-play markets’ introduction, they were limited to popular football and tennis championships that were aired live on TV. Nowadays, the number of sports events available for live betting at any given moment has dramatically increased and many online sportsbooks offer live streaming.
Football’s immense popularity is largely due to the fast-paced, dynamic character of the game, as well as the great number of local leagues and championships all over the globe. Some of the competitions that stir great interest for live betting opportunities include the English Premier League, the World Cup, and the UEFA Champions Legaue, among others.
In-play Football Betting Guidelines
For those of you who lack experience and are wondering where and how to start their live football betting adventure, we may proceed to provide a couple of guidelines. For starters, bettors need to sign up for a reputable online sportsbook. The process is usually easily accomplished as it takes no more than several minutes. Then, they need to fund their sports betting account to be able to place online live bets.
In-game betting works in fairly the same manner as pre-match betting. Bettors who are not quite used to the intricacies of live betting markets should take into consideration that the offered odds are live, i.e. adjusted frequently in the course of matches to reflect their development. While the odds for the team you would like to back were initially set to 2.50, they may all of a sudden be changed to 2.00 or 3.00. This is typical for the way in-play markets function.
The same holds true for the available markets, as the ones that are already settled are substituted with new options, manifesting the new circumstances of the game.
As with pre-match betting, punters should follow a strategy to make sure that they limit their losses to a minimum. Placing more than two live bets per game may be rather distracting, especially to novice bettors, because they should be able to react timely and carefully to the way matches progress. Keeping up with the available statistics is a powerful tool, which every bettor should utilize.
And last but not least, bettors should note that many sportsbooks offer some special promotions and enhanced odds on live betting markets from renowned football leagues. So, comparing prices and promotions among a number of online bookmakers might be a good idea to extract better value from your live wagers.
In-play Football Betting Markets
The launch of in-play betting has prompted the great expansion of the betting markets available to punters. Football is among the sports allowing for a mind-blowing diversity of markets, all of which are perfectly suited for live betting. From standard match winner bets and Totals to Handicaps, bettors can place live bets on a variety of markets. Other possible options are half-time/full-time bets, Correct Score, and Double Chance.
If we take as an example a football match from the UEFA Champions Legaue, FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich, available for live betting at the time of writing the present article, we may take a closer look at some of the available options for in-game bets.
| UEFA Champions Legaue FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main In-play Markets | Goals In-Play Markets | Corners/Cards In-Play Markets | Players In-Play Markets | Combo In-Play Markets |
| 1×2 | Second Goal | Match Corners | Goalscorer | 1×2 & total |
| Double Chance | FC Barcelona total | 2-Way Corners | Multi Scorers | 1×2 & both teams to score |
| Both teams to score | Bayern Munich total | 1st Half Corners | First Goalscorer | Double chance & total |
| Total | Bayern Munich exact goals | 2nd Half Corners | Next Goalscorer | Double chance & both teams to score |
| Asian Total | Odd/even | Asian Corners | Last Goalscorer | |
| Handicap | Exact goals | Corners Race | ||
| Asian Handicap | Most Corners | |||
| Draw no bet | Number of Cards | |||
| Correct Score | Player to be Booked | |||
| Which team wins the rest of the match | Player to be Sent Off | |||
The in-play betting options vary from bookmaker to bookmaker and the different football events. Matches from the more popular leagues and championships naturally feature a great assortment of in-play markets to choose from.
The pioneers within the sports betting industry allow punters to keep their options open until the end of sports events and are dedicated to the constant development and upgrading of the features related to the live betting markets they offer. We are now going to examine some of them.
Sportsbooks’ Features Related to Live Betting
When it comes to football in-play markets, there are several features that bettors should be aware of to make the most of their betting experience.
- Live StreamingFirst of all, live streaming of football events is a feature of the best betting sites. Some of the online bookmakers offer live streaming to registered users only. Others provide the so-called Live Centers, which are basically graphical representations of the current state of live games.
- Live Scores and StatisticsBettors should take advantage of Live Scores and Results, offered by many bookmakers so that they can make an informed judgment about the live matches they are interested in. Many bookmakers have a Live Schedule section, delivering detailed information for the live sports events that are to be expected within the next week.
- Cash Out FeatureThe Cash Out Feature enables bettors to settle their live bets ahead of the game’s end. By utilizing this feature they are in better control of their bets. They may choose to Cash Out a bet earlier to secure their profits or minimize their losses. Some bookies offer also the Partial Cash Out Feature where bettors are enabled to leave part of their stakes on the event.Yet another thing to consider in relation to the Cash Out feature is that bookies have different terms and conditions attached to it. Bettors should familiarize themselves with them prior to placing live bets and using the Cash Out feature. It is available for football, but not for all types of markets and usually, there is a Cash-Out icon signaling the active markets.
Conclusion
In-play football betting markets have an indisputable potential to bring great fun and excitement to punters. Placing a winning bet in the midst of the action of a live football event can also deliver substantial profits. The success of live betting depends to a large extent on bettors’ skill of identifying the right moment to punt on a certain market and their correct judgment. Due to the nature of live betting, and the necessity of swift decision-making, punters should be aware of the risks associated with it and place their bets responsibly.
Football is perfectly set up for live betting and besides the greater variety, another undeniable advantage of these markets is the ability to access the game in progress and thus make informed decisions.
Ultimately, live betting has gone a long way since its inception and the attention it garners is completely deserved. Thanks to contemporary technologies, the market leaders within the sports betting industry are dedicated to constantly developing its immense potential.