What Does it Take to Become A Professional Online Sports Bettor?

What does it take to become a professional sports bettor? In this column, we look at the online sports betting industry, the difference between casual and pro bettors, and reveal the best way to transition from casual to pro.

Background: The Rise of Gambling and Online Sports Betting In Brief

Gaming and online sports betting have grown exponentially over the last two decades. Today, the industry is thriving like never before and reaching new markets that span a wide range of customer groups from all walks of life, age, gender, and so on. And this undeniably has a lot to do with the advent of smartphones and tablets alongside advances within the industry in digital development, technology research, continued innovation in software engineering technology, and targeted marketing strategies.

When the first gambling site was launched in the 1990s, it revolutionized the world of gambling, Quickly, more and more sites began cropping up on the internet, creating a competitive virtual market that gradually not only caught up to but eventually outstripped traditional betting shops and brick and mortar casinos that are found – for instance – dotting the infamous Las Vegas Strip.

Traditional gambling venues simply couldn’t keep up with the level of innovation that online space was able to deliver, never mind the global reach they were able to demonstrate and the customer experience they offered, the latter of which encompass: ease of access, simplicity, comfort, 24-hour access, bonuses…and much, much more.

Fast forward to the present, the covid-19 pandemic still raging on around the world, and the industry is practically bursting at the seams and booming as it has never before. In 2020, the sports betting industry skyrocketed with market operators reporting record annual revenue figures and huge surges to their customer base.

This trend correlates directly to the impact of the global pandemic: the shuttering of business and industries, sending huge swathes of populations into lockdowns, and limiting entertainment to activities that were mainly readily available within the confines of one’s home. What else were people going to do at home but turn to the internet?

Amateur and Professional Online Sports Bettors

Gamers and online sports bettors are comprised of two main groups: those that are amateurs and play as a hobby and those that are professionals and play more seriously or for a living.

The difference between the pair comes down essentially to the approach to betting. Casual bettors are exactly that, casual players that dabble in betting on sports for fun, entertainment, and, even, boosting their pocket money.

Professional bettors, on the contrary, are dedicated sports aficionados who follow sports betting markets with a trained eye, not unlike the Wolves of Wall Street – stock traders trading in stocks and commodities in a cutthroat financial market. They do exhaustive research, due diligence, pour-over reels of film, analyze various data and know which best online sportsbooks for us players offer the best odds. Simply put, they eat and breathe sports and sports betting.

The allure of becoming a pro is understandably great. Perhaps, more so now than ever before, after one of the most extraordinary years in the history of our lifetimes that has seen unimaginable change, a rise in people working remotely from home offices, and turned life as we know it upside down in every possible way. Things have changed so much that a complete return to the old ways is looking increasingly impossible.

It’s not unusual for people in challenging times to adapt and find new and creative ways to make a living. Hence, there is a growing interest in non-traditional professions such as online sports betting. However, there couldn’t be a tougher gig than sports betting is, no matter how seductive or alluring it looks from the outside.

Sports betting isn’t for everyone because it’s an unusually tough gig; it’s uncertain and unpredictable in many ways which make it the sort of profession that the fainthearted should absolutely avoid. It will most certainly entail abnormal hours, anxiety, and lots of stress. It will also involve a lot of ups and downs and negative and positive gain cycles.

Countless have tried but not all have succeeded. It, therefore, bears keeping in mind that many meet with failure at the pro-level, and the reasons for this are numerous – lack of preparation, understanding, knowledge, game planning, and bankroll management, amongst other things. This is absolutely the first thing one must understand fully; that is, it’s not all rainbows and roses.

This isn’t meant to discourage anyone interested in trying their hand at professional sports betting, rather it’s about keeping it real and, importantly, promoting the practice of responsible gambling.

Deciding to become a pro is a big decision that can have a substantial impact on your living either way. However, transitioning from casual to professional sports betting isn’t something that can be taken lightly, nor is it really something one can simply just dive into on a whim. At the risk of sounding repetitive: t’s important to have a complete understanding of what sports betting entails, how to bet on sports, what sports to bet on, when to bet on sports…so on. The sheer breadth and width of information required to make professional online sports betting a successful career take time, patience, and dedication to study and best practices. It’s not an overnight thing.

Also, consider reading:

Social Media Meets Sports Betting to Make Innovative Gambling Experiences