Your Trusted Source for Online Sports Betting

Betting Telegraph is your go-to source for the latest sports news and the best sports betting info. 

Our coverage ranges from football to basketball, tennis to horse racing, boxing, e-sports and so much more. However, if the world of online sports betting is new to you, there’s no need to worry. 

We’ll also be sharing advice and tips on sports betting strategies, online sportsbooks and online betting account offers, all in the name of making more well-informed sports betting decisions. This will help you determine which are the better odds, understand trends and ultimately place bets that can win you money.

Top Betting Bonuses Of The Week

Top Sportsbook
3 Welcome Bonuses up to ₹100,000

How Does Online Sports Betting Work?

Betting has been around since even before the creation of competitive sports. In fact, the ancient Romans used to bet on chariot races and gladiator fights. Fast forward to the present, and you can gamble on your favourite sport by going to a high-street betting shop or the racetrack… or do like we do and place your bets online, wherever and whenever you want. That’s right, thanks to modern technology, you can use your phone, laptop, or desktop computer to place your bets on any sport you like. 

If you’re new to all of this, here’s a very basic introduction to how online sports betting works:

1. You predict the outcome of a particular match or game.

2. Choose where you’re going to place your bet(s) by going to one of the best sports betting sites or online sportsbooks we recommend.

3. Check the odds and place your wagers. 

4. Wait until the final result is determined.

5. If your bet is correct, you get your payout; if not, you lose your bet.

New to Online Sports Betting? Here's How it's Done:

As mentioned above, sports betting is now much easier than it used to be. Online betting sites, apps and sportsbooks give you the power at your fingertips to bet on any sports you like. If you’re not sure how to employ this power, these seven steps should be useful to get you started:

Step 1 - Set a Budget

Setting a budget is the smart thing to do when betting on sports so you’ll know your limit right from the start. In fact, managing your bankroll means you won’t get carried away and bet more than you’re able to. 

Step 2 - Pick a Sport

There’s no need to stick to the most popular league or tournament in your country. Most punters from our part of the world like betting on IPL, the Pro Kabaddi League or the Indian Super League, for example, but we also enjoy placing bets on the Premier Badminton League games and any horse racing competition. By choosing the best online sports betting sites, the sky’s the limit.

Step 3 - Join a Betting Site

The process of joining a betting site starts with research. This is essential because it helps you understand whether a site is reputable and offers the odds, bonuses and payment methods you’re looking for. Check the different tournaments and leagues on offer, site reviews and licences from the likes of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) or Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

Step 4 - Set a Budget

If you’re new to online sports betting odds, you might find fractional, decimal and American odds complex, if not impossible to get used to. What these odds show is: 

  • The return you’ll have from a successful wager.
  • How your chances of winning decrease as odds and prospective return increase. 

For the time being this is a great place to start, but if you want to explore the matter further we’ll be giving you all the mathematics and detail that goes into it. 

Step 5 - Learn the Popular Betting Options

Totals, Futures and Moneylines are some of the most popular bets you can place. Learn all about these and their variations, as the best bookmakers offer a lot of these options.

Step 6 - Learn how to Make Money from Betting

Making money from online sports betting is possible if you put in some time and dedication. Learn which odds offer positive value (a higher possibility of winning than what’s determined by the odds) and learn all you can about the sports you’re betting on –  after all, as they say, knowledge is power.

Step 7 - Try Different Betting Options

Fixed odds betting is the most common option you’ll come across, but you don’t have to stop there. Broaden your horizons with options like spread or exchange bets when you feel ready. You’ll find more about these in our advanced betting pages in case you want to jump right in!

How We Review Sports Betting Sites

Choosing your next sports betting site can be a tall order – especially if it’s half-time, you’re down the pub watching a match with your mates and you just want to find a site to make a quick bet on the match’s final score. You want to make sure you pick a sports betting site that’s safe, has generally good odds and will give you an easy withdrawal once your bet comes in.

This is why most people just pick the first household names that they can think of, such as Bet365 or Coral (usually because they’re so heavily advertised), instead of exploring their options and actually picking a site that would better suit them.

Do us a favour and make a conscious decision not to do that next time – because we’ve done all the research on every worthwhile online bookie out there and can suggest one that’s tailor-made for you. 

This is what we always look out for:

⚽ Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup
🐎 Grand National, Cheltenham Festival
🎾 Wimbledon, Grand Slams
🏏 The Ashes, the ICC Cricket World Cup
⛳ The PGA Championship, the British Open, the Masters
💻🏅 FIFA World Cup, League of Legends (LOL) Championship

Online Sports Betting Sites Bonuses and Rewards

When you join a sports betting site, you will be welcomed with a bonus. This can be followed by other rewards, especially if you become a regular. There were times when we wanted to use our bonus straightaway, only to realise that it wasn’t so beneficial because we had to use a large proportion of our bankroll before actually seeing the bonus in our account. Other times, a seemingly uninteresting offer turned out to be very rewarding thanks to low wagering requirements, making it more favourable for us. So, read the Terms and Conditions (or at least skim through them if you don’t want to scan all the details) since doing so ensures you won’t get any unpleasant surprises. 

Now that you know what can be the deal-breaking factors for your bonus, here’s the more interesting part  – a list of the most common offers you’ll find:

Welcome Bonus / Sign-Up Bonus:

This is usually the largest reward you’ll get. It’s a bonus that usually comes with wagering requirements and which the casino adds to your bankroll either before or after you make your first deposit. 

Example: 50% up to £50 welcome bonus, use promo code WINNERS to claim.

Reload Bonus

Once you decide to continue betting at an online sportsbook, and have used up the welcome bonus, you’ll need to deposit more money – aka “reload”. A reload bonus lets you take a percentage of that deposit as a bonus, resulting in a larger bankroll to use on your bets.

Example: 200% Deposit Bonus up to ₹10.000

No Deposit Bonus

This is usually given to new users, but can also be awarded as a boost to existing customers during special tournaments or big events. It’s a bonus that doesn’t require a deposit beforehand.

Example: Up to ₹5, 000 No Deposit Bonus

Enhanced Odds

Enhanced odds are available for a short period of time and can result in opportunities to boost your bankroll significantly. This is when a bookmaker increases the value of odds for a specific match, competition or maybe even across the board for your next bet(s). 

Example: Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea – All to Win 50/1

Free Bets

These are usually awarded when you make your first deposit or when you reload your account. Free bets are a form of credit which equals an amount of cash that you can withdraw after playing through the wagering requirements. 

Example: Bet 1000 And Get a 3000 Free Bet on Arsenal vs Manchester United

Your Online Sports Betting Questions (FAQs)

There are hundreds of wildly popular betting sites out there, each with their own die-hard fans. But which are actually the creme-de-la-creme and which are just hyped-up mouldy cheese? The final decision depends on your personal preferences. Having said that, experienced bettors look at odds, variety, security and overall user experience first, to determine which sites are their favourite. Decide what it is you want from the site and start looking for the ones that meet your needs.

Yes, all top betting sites support and tend to be designed primarily for mobile use. A lot of online sportsbooks also offer an app for even easier mobile betting. 

All you need are 3 simple steps and you’re done! 

  1. Enter any of the required details 
  2. Choose your payment method.
  3. Make a deposit and collect your bonus.

After you’ve chosen a site and set a budget, register for an account and make your first deposit. From there you can move on to claiming your welcome bonus, finding an upcoming match with odds that you like and making your wager. 

Yes, sports betting is legal in most countries with a few notable exceptions such as UAE, Japan, Singapore, Lebanon and Poland.

Online sportsbooks analyse mounds of data to determine how possible an outcome is. All of this data is then crunched and odds are determined through mathematical equations. From there a vigorish – the cut charged by the sportsbook for taking a bet, also simply known as the vig – is applied to determine the final price.