Is Betting on Cycling Allowed?
The sport of cycling has become more popular in recent years, as more people start cycling as a hobby or on a competitive basis.
Ever-growing global television audiences have also helped the sport to reach more new fans, so what do you need to know about betting on cycling, and which online sportsbook can you trust to bet on cycling events?
The Basics
You can bet on major cycling events like the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. You might also see lower-profile races and events being offered on some sites, but the major sportsbooks tend to focus on the biggest events that attract more attention.
As with any sports, betting is open to the public in general, according to the laws and specific regulations in place in each country and state. Anyone who is involved in the sport on a competitive basis should check whether they are able to bet, or if the cycling regulations prohibit them from betting.
Since cycling is still considered something of a niche sport for betting purposes. This means that when you enter an online sportsbook you’re more likely to see hugely popular sports like basketball and football on their home page.
However, if you look for an A to Z list of sports you’ll see cycling is available on most sites. The list of events covered lets you see at a glance what you can bet on, so you can quickly decide whether there’s something there that interests you.
How to Place a Bet?
When you enter the cycling section of a sportsbook, the first thing you’ll notice is the list of the different events that you can bet on. For example, at the time of writing, the Tour de France is currently underway and this event dominated the cycling betting world just now.
You can decide whether to put your wager on the cyclist you think will win the overall event, or choose your predicted winner for individual stages. Categories like point classification and top ten finishes are offered on some sportsbooks but not on all of them.
The process of placing your bet is easy if you do it online. Choose the cyclist you want to wager on, and make sure that you’re in the right category for what you want to bet on. It’s then a question of putting in the amount that you want to wager. This will automatically work out how much you will earn if the prediction comes true, based on the odds for that bet.
You can get to this stage on most sportsbooks without signing up or depositing any money. However, you’ll need to register as a member and deposit some funds to actually place the bet.
How to Choose a Sportsbook?
Finding the right sportsbook to place your cycling wagers on is the next important step. Depending upon where you live, you might find that there are a few different options you can choose from in this respect.
The first thing to do is see which ones offer a decent selection of cycling bets. Expect to find similar amounts of options on most sites, but you might discover some that don’t cover cycling at all or that they have an extremely limited selection you feel isn’t right for you.
If you’re also interested in betting on other sports, this is a good time to see what the sportsbooks offer. The majority have dozens of different sports from baseball and ice hockey all the way through to table tennis, volleyball and more.
You’ll see that the odds differ from one site to the next, although in general terms the odds tend to be similar on the major sites. Comparing is difficult, as you’ll typically see that one cyclist may have slightly better odds on one site, but another competitor could have better odds on rival sportsbooks.
Bearing this in mind, it can be simpler to choose a sportsbook based on factors other than the odds. For example, how easy is the sign-up and betting process? You’ll want a site that’s very easy to use even if you’re placing sports bets for the first time in your life.
You could also check out some reviews to see which sites are well-regarded among sports betting fans. The most popular sportsbooks tend to be those with good promotions, reasonable odds, and a good level of customer service. Fast payouts using a large range of banking methods is another factor that users value highly.
To sum up, betting on cycling is now easier to do than ever before. You don’t need to be a betting expert to do this and if you want to get started quickly you can place your first bet in a matter of minutes. However, if you prefer to do some research, it should only take you a few moments to look into the relevant information to help you with your choice.
