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Those of us involved in sports betting on a regular basis probably understand that in truth, there was never really any "start" point when folks began betting on sports. It appears pretty natural to place some sort of wager whenever there is a contest between two different sides, whether or not it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

Actually, you will discover records to show that as long as there have been matches between people, on any side, you will discover people that want to add some excitement to the competition through wagering. From the gladiatorial contests in ancient Rome to foot races on North America's Great Plains, all cultures have put bets involving money or goods when they are watching a competition.

Today, of course, sports betting will be much more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All around the world, bookmakers both big or small follow several unique systems which allow them to make money off of people's penchant for punting. Whether we are speaking about professional or amateur leagues, you can bet that you'll be able to find someone willing to take your wager.

It is important to understand that the story of sports betting is just as much about these "middle men" than it really is about the sport one is betting on. Bookies setup their odds according to very complex mathematical formulas, which enable them to to find out how they can make a profit off of people's bets. They don't want too much "action" (money wagered) on one side or another, to prevent losing their profit. For this reason, they have thought up ways to encourage people to bet on each side.

One of those ways is to offer higher payouts in the event the team receiving less bets win. Those that take the "underdogs" stand to win a whole lot extra money per dollar bet than people who take the favorites.

Similarly, the point spread is used to encourage betting on both sides of any given match. Both methods enable the sports books to come out of each match with some cash.

The story of sports betting involves not only book makers, but in addition the law. You are probably experienced with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and may behave violently when not paid. However, there are numerous legal, above board sports books today who are legally sanctioned to take sports bets. In North America, all of these books run out of Las Vegas.

In other areas of the world, sports betting is legal but can also be highly regulated. Governments, and sports bodies as well, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer sum of cash being bet on the outcome of games, it can be tempting for players to forget about competition in favor of a bribe or any other type of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games to be able to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws such as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act look to prevent this from occurring by prohibiting sports betting in certain cases and places.

Remember, the next chapter within the story of sports betting may make such efforts moot. Today, sports books are among those businesses that have capitalized on the opportunities available online. Bettors in North America no longer need to make the trip to Vegas to be able to put some cash down on their favorite team; instead, the capability to wager is just a click of the mouse away.

Not simply are more people able to wager on sports over the Internet, the total amount of information available increases the chances of making good bets in a way which has never been seen before. Remember, the information also means that books will be able to compensate, however the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) are nevertheless around.

It's safe online gambling agent to say that betting on sports is one area which has happened throughout human history, and an issue that will happen as long as there are actually competitions between people. Today, the net has taken the story of sports betting to the next level; the end of that chapter has yet to be written!