How betting on football was started?

Back in the mid-2000s, under the phrase “bet on football” we meant going to the “booth” where there is a cashier. One could stay there and place one, two or ten bets on the spot. At the same time, the bettor received a check in his hands, which could be cashed immediately after the rate was calculated. And even then, the no one format was very popular, when the players were handed a coupon, where they could celebrate the results of matches in the hope of hitting a big jackpot.

Times have changed. The 2010s were marked by the scrapping of the market. Online bookmakers not only caught up with, but also surpassed offline ones in terms of popularity and volumes. As a result, the number of bets acceptance points gradually began to decline. Some large companies have abandoned the offline segment altogether.

Short story of betting business

The establishment of betting as a legitimate business took place in Britain. So the laurels of the first man-bookmaker are often given to William Ogden, who in the 1790s organized the reception of rates on horse races and football in a small “circle”of fans of this game. And half a century later, in 1850, an office was created by Leviathan Davis and Fred Swindell. They gave out leaflets to players with odds (coefficients), i.e. actually the prototype of modern coupons.

Then there was the founding of the sweepstakes, the formation of football and rugby, and the popularization of betting in the USA and other countries. Even before the war, large bookmakers began to appear in the same Great Britain – William Hill, Ladbrokes and others. They worked both through the so-called “shops” and through contractors-distributors. By the first half of the 90s, almost every country in the world had its own land-based bookmaker companies.

And then Internet changed everything

But it was the Internet that made this business global. And if back in 2003 online betting seemed exotic to most, then 3-4 years later the turnover of betting reached nine-digit figures in dollars. The credibility of the online business grew gradually as many well-known land-based brands moved online.

And then iOS and Android appeared, online banking and e-wallets became massive – everything became much easier for the average player. Yes, and bookmakers have expanded the line, improved the functionality of sites, added broadcasts, and international organizations that define the industry standards on the Internet. More and more countries have started to legalize online betting. And among active players, 95% prefer online bookmakers, especially on football. The market turnover exceeds millions of dollars.

Offline and online betting on football: comparison

In  the 2020s we have the awareness that Internet football stakes are not just a competitor to the offline niche, but the dominant direction in betting. It accounts for 90% of the total betting turnover. Offline stakes  will gradually become an exclusive product. They will cease to be massive. Their main purpose will not be in the reception / placement of stakes on football itself, but in the atmosphere and services accompanying this process.

The usual betting points will gradually be phased out. Because it is easier for a player to get a phone and make a few clicks in it than to go to a specially designated place for this. And the bookmaker does not need to spend money on staff, equipment, or rent. Offline stakes will survive, but as it is exclusive and has a football atmosphere. The basis of any bookmaker company will be an Internet direction.

Given the current level and constant development of high technologies in football analytics, we can safely assume that bookmakers that work online, provide their customers with much greater opportunities.

It is much more convenient for fans of online offices to use statistics that become available in one – two mouse clicks. The informativeness and availability of Internet statistics cannot be compared with similar opportunities provided by offices working offline.

Advantages of online and offline betting on football

Online

  • Availability. It is enough to have at hand a device with access to the network;
  •  Lack of binding to the place and time;
  •  Intimacy of the process. You can play without “prying eyes”, while doing other things;
  •  Possibility to make stake in several offices at the same time

Offline

  • Availability of football broadcasts in clubs on large screens 
  • Fewer “strange” returns and, in general, less probability of not getting paid on a winning stake;
  • A sport atmosphere and additional services (bar, commentators);
  • The ability to quickly get your winnings in your hands.

Disadvantages of online and offline betting on football

Offline

  •  Possible conflict situations with other football fans;
  • Normalized work schedule of branches;
  • It takes time to get there;
  •  There may not always be money at the checkout to pay out the winnings.

Online

  • May require additional verification; 
  • There may be delays in the payment of winnings;
  • Fast cutting of limits;
  • More bizarre bid returns under various pretexts.

It seems to be a draw in terms of pluses and minuses. But for a modern person, online rates are better suited primarily because of the time savings. This is their key advantage.

So, what is the future of football betting?

The boundaries between online and offline stakes have blurred over the past decade. Today, even when heading to a betting center, a player will in any way interact with the website or the Internet version of the bookmaker. It is thanks to the internet that stakes have become a popular phenomenon. Offline stakes literally survive. But they will not cease to exist completely, although the points of acceptance of rates will no longer play any value. After all, gamblers give preference to stake on football on the Internet, and companies optimize their business.

Now Internet betting is the backbone of the business of almost any bookmaker company.