Why is sports betting so popular in the United Kingdom?

26th July 2020

When it comes to gambling, the United Kingdom is one of the countries where it is most popular. This is mainly because of how relaxed the laws are in this country when it comes to gambling activities. Most forms of gambling are completely legal here. However, one of the most popular ways to gamble in the UK has to be sports betting.

Sports betting makes up around 13 percent of the gambling revenues in the UK. This makes sense as this country is a big fan of sports like Football. The biggest football events like the English Premier League is when people would place a lot of bets. They research well searching the best bookmakers for them reading reviews on websites namely Betenemy.com that help them to improve the chances of winning.

Based on a survey in the UK, 46 percent of people who gamble engage in such activities because they want to win and if you feel the same way, visiting review sites of online bookies would help a lot when it comes to choosing the right bookie and knowing which ones have the best odds.

Now, aside from the UK having gambling-friendly laws, betting is popular because the locals have plenty of options when it comes to this. Both in-person and online betting is legal in the country and there is no shortage of choices here. Despite the fact that a few physical betting shops have closed in the last few years, this didn’t completely have an effect on the local betting scene because of the rise of online or mobile betting.

The use of technology has also impacted the popularity of betting in the UK. Mobile betting becoming the more popular option for people to place their bets right now. This is especially now that there is a health crisis that still remains unresolved. People nowadays would prefer staying at home and being able to bet online is simply convenient for them.

Convenience plays an important role as to why people would rather place their bets online nowadays. It’s much quicker since they no longer have to travel. They can easily shop around for odds and bonuses that different bookies would offer.

Around 97 percent of online gamblers in the UK have said that they now prefer to place their bets online. This is very beneficial to some, especially for punters who are into in-game or in-play betting. Back in the day, this kind of betting was just impossible as odds will have to change in real-time as the game progresses. However, since mobile technology is now very powerful and advanced, bookies that accept in-game wagers have no problems updating their odds in just a few seconds.

When it comes to payment options, there are many ways for punters to make a deposit to their betting accounts online. They can always use their debit cards and online banking. However, the UK Gambling Commission or the UKGC has already imposed a ban on the use of credit cards in gambling. Anyway, there still are other options out there like the use of digital wallets and cryptocurrencies.

The truth is that the popularity of sports betting or gambling in the UK also has its disadvantages. It is estimated that the country has over 400,000 people with gambling problems and this has alarmed the government. Surely, they can’t just ban or shut the industry to fix this problem. After all, gambling is one of the biggest industries in the country.

The UKGC is now responsible for ensuring a safe gambling environment for the locals. In the last few years, there have been new regulations that are imposed by the UKGC like setting a limit on how much people can bet on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals or FOBTs.

The House of the Lords has also requested the name of the betting companies that football clubs are in partnership with to be removed on the shirts of the players. The UK is now also strict when it comes to advertising gambling activities on TV and online.

The use of animated characters is not allowed in ads as this can easily get the attention of many children or minors. The government is after protecting minors from gambling activities. Aside from that, personalities who appear to be under the age of 25 are also not allowed to show up on any gambling ads.

Overall, gambling and betting on sports are no longer just hobbies or forms of entertainment in the UK. This has been part of the country’s rich history and culture.