The Five Most Popular Sports to Wager a Bet On!

The rapid expansion of the online gambling industry has led to record numbers of people placing bets on the outcome of particular sporting events; but what determines the most popular sports that tempt people to get their wallets out!
Sports betting is big business these days, and it has become even bigger thanks to the internet. According to the BBC, in Australia the average person spends more each week on gambling (.52) than they do on Petrol (.27) and Alcohol (.99). In the UK, a Family Expenditure Survey carried out in 2006 by the government shows gambling to be the 33rd most common outgoing, whereas when the same survey was undertaken in Britain 50 years ago, the activity did not feature anywhere in the top 50. This article now draws focus on the five most popular sports which tempt people into making bets, including a brief overview of the most distinguished events within each sport.

1. Football Betting
International tournaments always provide a large dose of sports betting fun for neutral supporters, and 2008 offers much to look forward to for those who like a bet on football. In addition to annual league and domestic cup contests, there is the African Nations Cup, which is far from predictable, and with the Euro 2008 competition taking place between the 7th and 29th of June it is very likely that record numbers could partake in a bit of football betting this year!

2. Horse Racing Betting
Horse racing takes place almost every day throughout the year meaning it simply could not be overlooked from this list. Highlights of 2008 will include the Cheltenham Festival which takes place at the beginning of March, followed shortly by the Dubai World Cup at the end of the month. The showpiece Grand National events will be getting fans who like to bet on horse racing all excited during April; Starting at Aintree on the 3rd before going north of the border, to Ayr Racecourse, on the 18th. The Welsh Grand National (27th December) at Chepstow rounds up the seasons racing. There has never been a better time to get into horse racing due the wealth of information at ones disposal across numerous online sports betting companies offering prices for the majority of these occasions.

3. Tennis Betting
The inclusion of tennis may come as shock to many sports betting enthusiasts. However there are no fewer than seven major tournaments that take place throughout the year, and interest in the sport has rocketed over the past few years now that Britain has a player inside the top 10 ATP Rankings in the form of Scottish Whiz-Kid, Andy Murray. The two events which attract the most tennis betting activity are The Wimbledon Championship and the two Davies Cup events.

4. Cricket Betting
Cricket, like football, is followed by a massive number of betting devotees worldwide. Highlights of the cricket sporting calendar include the Commonwealth Tri-Series event which sees Australia, India and Sri-Lanka lock horns in exciting one day internationals. The winner will be decided when the final is played out in March. The CCC (County Cricket Championship) kicks off in April, before England go into battle with New Zealand over three 5-day test matches and 5 one day internationals. They also have test match fixtures pencilled in against South Africa in August.

5. Rugby Betting
Rugby Union has rocketed in popularity in the UK, with many English supporters jumping on the bandwagon after their team’s World Cup Success ‘Down Under’ in 2003. Domestic fixtures are now attracting record crowds, with internationals selling out in double quick time. International rugby tournaments occur annually and the domestic leagues run at different times of the year (Guinness Rugby Union Premiership fixtures run through the Winter, and Rugby League’s Engage Super League fixtures take place during summer months) which means there is always something going on for the rugby betting fan.

About the Author

Online sports betting is taking the pastime to new levels of popularity, as people who could never find time to participate can now put a bet on football whilst on the train, in the office, or from the comfort of their own homes! Steven Bednarek is a sports journalist who believes the bookies will soon be a thing of the past after gamblers move online.