5 Myths Newbies Have About Sports Betting

If you are just venturing into the exciting world of sports betting, it is a smart idea to check your assumptions before you get started.  A lot of novice bettors go into sports betting without a clear understanding of what they are doing.  These starting misconceptions can take a toll on you financially and emotionally.  It is best to know what you are getting into in advance so you can get off to a good start.  Here are 5 myths you may have about sports betting.

1. If you have watched sports, you are qualified to bet on sports. 

While it would be awesome if this were true, simply watching a lot of sports is not enough to be able to accurately and reliably call which side will win a game.  If you notice you have a knack for it, then you probably do have a great starting foundation of knowledge on which to build betting success.  But it is only a starting point!

2. Gut instinct is enough.

Nobody’s gut can consistently steer them in the direction of money.  Intuition plays a role in sports betting, but it is only there to help you along the way, not tell you exactly how to bet!  It is much better to accept this now rather than learn it the hard way later.

3. Bonus money is free.

Free bets and bonuses are promoted by online betting sites as if they are free money, but it is vital to understand that they are not!  There are strings attached.  Before you can claim the bonus as your own, you need to meet a betting turnover requirement.  Until you do, that money belongs to the betting site.

4. Online betting is a scam.

Depending on where you are located, you may be very familiar with sports betting online or hardly familiar with it at all.  If you are already very familiar with online betting, you know that online betting is not a scam.  But if you live in a country where online betting is legal but frowned upon, you may wonder whether betting sites are legit.  The good news is that many of them are, and online betting can be safe, fun, and profitable!

5. You need to find a perfect betting system.

Sports bettors, like all investors, can easily be tempted onto the path of searching for the Holy Grail.  It is essential to have a solid system that brings great results, and to have a realistic basis for all the wagers you place, but there are no perfect betting strategies and there never will be.  Embarking on such a quest will only result in lost time, disappointment, and more often than note, lost financial resources as well.

Any one of those misconceptions can turn into a trap and cause you to lose wagers, money, and opportunity.  But now that you know better, you can avoid these pitfalls and move forward with realistic expectations.  Good luck, and enjoy sports betting online!