The gambling industry has gone mad in recent months. There was a time not so long ago that placing a bet was a social thing to do. And many of us didn´t do it very often. Perhaps only once or twice a year for the big events. Placing a bet was originally wagering on a horse at a race meet. You would go to your local bookmakers, most probably choosing the nearest one, either a Ladbrokes or William Hill. These were the most popular. You didn´t care too much about the odds, what rate you were going to get. You got what you were given. There was no shopping around or comparing the market. All that has now changed. Gone are the days of dingy, smoke filled bookmakers shops. They are still there and a lot of people still like them for the social aspect.

In January 1996 the first online sports bet was made. It was a UK FA Cup football match between Hereford United and Tottenham Hotspur and a man from Finland placed a $50 bet. This was the first ever sports bet made online. The site was Intertops. This was the first operator to accept an online sportsbook bet. Over the years things have changed dramatically and there are now so many bookmakers offering online services. You can place a bet online on pretty much anything you want. And right now it is more about betting on football rather than the traditional horse races.

There are so many operators and to get your custom they offer free bets and better odds. You can win more from your $50 by betting online than you would if you went to a traditional bookmakers shop. With the birth of the online comparison sites you can now see which online sports betting site will give you the best return. You don´t even need to leave your home or office. But it can be pretty lonely with nobody to meet in the streets. But you do get so much more variety and choice of bets, odds, markets and wagers. Sports Betting online is now a huge business that gives great rewards. Placing a bet online is now a really easy thing to do, it only takes a minute to complete a transaction and within 5 minutes of the completion of the event you can have any winnings paid directly into your bank, ready to spend.