Learn How To Bet Online
Our online betting school provides all the tips and advice you need so you can learn how to bet online. You can also find information about all the best bookmaker welcome deals and bonuses, alongside details of casino and bingo gaming bonuses. If you're new to betting online, our detailed guidelines provide all the knowledge needed to begin placing bets with bookies to give you the risk and excitement you need. First off, though, every gambler needs to recognise that there is no such thing as a surefire win, or system for winning. When you opt to place bets regularly you are risking your cash on gambles that may not come in. It's always wise to place a limit on the amount of money used for betting, and you should have the strength and willpower needed not to exceed this amount.
Taking advantage of welcome deals and bonuses can make your wager limits stretch further and you can read some useful customer reviews to find out more about the latest bonus deals at bookies, casinos and bingo sites here.
Learning how to bet online with bookmakers
If you enjoy following sports of any kind, you can enhance the fun even more by betting on the outcome of games and races. Whether you opt to place a bet on your favourite soccer team winning the League, or want to place accumulator bets on a number of horses racing at Ascot, it's an easy matter to place your wagers online.
Our simple tutorials walk you through all the basics of learning to bet, choosing a bookmaker offering excellent welcome bonuses, and withdrawing your winnings from bookies. The online betting scene is vibrant and exciting and offers a range of choices to punters looking for the best deals.
When you're checking around different bookmakers for the best welcome bonuses, it's important to opt for a reputable bookie with a good name. You'll find a number of High Street bookies offer online betting, with different welcome deals available to new customers throughout the year. Check all our reviews and guides to the best online welcome bonuses from bookies here.
Opening and managing your bookmaker account
Once you've found a bookmaker offering the kind of welcome bonus you're looking for, you will need to register your account. It's quick and easy to set up an online bookmaker account, and you just need to complete a few basic details and select the method you want to use for funding your account. It's important that you check your bookmaker provider holds a green SSL certification to ensure the security of all your personal details. Most bookmakers accept a range of payment methods including bank card and credit card, Paypal and Neteller. When you've added funds to your account, your welcome bonus should also be credited to available funds.
When you're ready to place your first bets, select the event on which you want to gamble and you will find the odds listed, different bet types are described below. If you're happy to accept the odds provided by your bookmaker you just need to accept the gambling odds offered for your bet to be placed. If you place a winning bet, the funds will be credited to your online bookmaker account. Withdrawing cash from your account is simply a matter of completing a basic withdrawal form and waiting for the funds to be credited to your chosen account. You should note, however, if you're betting with bonus funds your bookmaker will have terms and conditions in place which stipulate when you are able to take out winnings.
Different types of bet
You can place a number of types of sports bet with bookies, these include:
Win bets
A win bet is one of the simplest you can place. You just check the odds available on your chosen winner and place a bet accordingly. For example, if you wanted to bet on Andy Murray winning Wimbledon and the odds are 2/1, if you place a £10 bet you would receive £20 back.
Each way bets
Each way bets are popular with horse racing fans, as they return some winnings if your horse comes in the top three or four places. So, with an each way bet a proportion of the bet goes towards a win, as detailed above, while the remainder is gambled on a place. For example, if you bet £50 each way on a horse winning a certain race, then £25 of your stake would go towards a win, with the remainder going towards a place.
Place bets
When you bet on your chosen athlete or horse getting a place in a race or game, your bet is allocated across the winning place and other agreed places. So if you make a place bet on a certain horse you would still win a proportion if your horse came third. You do need to check out all the conditions relative to bets of this nature to ascertain exactly how many places are in the running for payouts.
Multiples
You can place multiple bets on a range of sporting events and activities and these will all need to win for payouts. If you place two bets, both of your bets would need to be winners, and this is known as a double. You can also place trebles and fourfold selections, if all your selections win you could be in for a pretty handsome payout as these are difficult bets to forecast correctly.
Horse racing bets
Betting in horse races is slightly different as there are different bet combinations available to punters. These include Yankees, Trixie bets, and Lucky 15's. You can find out more about betting on horse racing in our guide.
Online casinos
Many punters also enjoy the thrills offered by online casinos, and you can source a number of fantastic welcome deals and casino reviews here. Many casinos add on several free slot plays alongside their valuable welcome bonuses, giving even more chances to win big. You do need to check out all the terms and conditions prior to registering a new account with any casino, as withdrawing bonus winnings may mean playing them up to 100 times or more before cashing out. Check out the small print of any casino deal before depositing funds, as they do offer very different bonus deals. You'll find our guide to casino deals and reviews very useful if you've never gambled with online casinos before.
Online casinos also offer regular player bonuses, including free slots play or credits for playing roulette or blackjack. Check our tips on the casinos offering the best regular bonuses.
Bingo sites
You'll also find our guide to the best bingo welcome deals is a useful way to check out what bonus is available and our reviews give ideas about the most welcoming and exciting sites. Playing bingo online can be extremely exciting, and there's no need to wager large amounts of cash to play on sites. Many bingo sites also offer a range of slots for more opportunities to win big.
Gambling of any kind is a risk, but when you take advantage of welcome deals and bonus offers from bookies, casinos, bingo sites and other online gaming sites, you can play with the site's money, rather than your own. You should only gamble and bet money that you can afford to lose and chasing your losses can result in even bigger losses. Play in a responsible manner and learn how to bet online and all the ins and outs of casino and bingo gaming using our free help and guidance.
Setting up and managing accounts with online casinos and bingo sites
You can set up online casino and bingo sites very quickly, in much the same way you do for bookmaker accounts. Registering with your chosen site will just be a matter of filling in some brief details, such as name, address, date of birth, and phone number. Any welcome bonus will be added to your online account when you make your first deposit to your casino or bingo account. If you're entitled to free slots play, these spins will also be added to your online account following receipt of your first payment. Many casinos offer staged welcome bonus offers, for example they may offer 100% matched bonus on your first deposit and 25% on your second and third deposits. This gives additional money for enjoyment on a range of gaming activities.
Taking money out of your casino or bingo account will just be a case of filling in a simple withdrawal form so money can be credited to the account already registered with the site. Again, you need to be aware of the terms related to any winnings received from bonus deals, as it's often the case that you will need to play winnings 50x or 100x in order to cash out.