Find out How Spread Betting Works!

Common Betting:

The most common form of spread betting is wagering on the difference of points two teams earn, but it can also be offered on more arbitrary events, such as the number of offsides or corners in the game or even on the sum of shirt numbers of the players who score.

In North America, bettors usually are offered even odds and pay 10 percent commission to the book maker on their bets, while in the UK both sides are held at 9-10 odds to benefit the bookmaker. Some bookmakers use a half-point system to avoid ties. If ties happen, in North America, bettors receive their money back as if no bet was placed, and in the UK, a player loses 5 percent of the bet due to 9-10 odds.

Example:
If the spread of the Liverpool-Arsenal game is 1 in favor of Liverpool, all players who bet above the spread will win if Liverpool wins by 2 goals or more, while those who bet below win if the teams draw or Arsenal wins. If Liverpool wins by 3 points, those who bet above win double the money they bet, while those who bet below lose the same sum.

Bookmakers have the right to declare a game off-limits, not quoting any spread at all. This is normally done if a key player of one of the teams misses the game. In similar situations, the game may also be circled, which means applying more restrictive limits to the betting.

Unlike many other forms of gambling, in spread betting a player can lose more than the bet he placed. In fact, there is no maximum limit at all. Therefore, bettors can place a Stop Loss which will close the bet if your losing sum reaches a specific value during the game. The same can be done in the opposite direction with a Stop Win option.

Analysis:

Spread betting can be analyzed mathematically. It is a large and fast growing subject in the betting community. Games like baseball, football, basketball, hockey and others, where points are counted in simple 1 point system, can be analyzed using Poisson and Skellam statistics. Well analyzed spread betting can provide instant income to a gambler, although, many spread firms have a policy of closing accounts of constantly winning players.