Those of us involved in sports betting regularly probably recognize that in truth, there was never really any "start" point when folks began betting on sports. It seems pretty natural to place some kind of wager whenever there's a contest between two different sides, whether it is a competition between individuals or between two different teams.

The truth is, you will discover records to show that as long as there have been matches between people, on any side, there are folks who 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, simply, sports betting is significantly more sophisticated than those ancient wagers. All around the world, bookmakers both big or small follow many different systems which allow them to earn money off of people's penchant for punting. Whether we are speaking about professional or amateur leagues, you may bet that you will 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 based upon very complex mathematical formulas, which help them to to determine how also they can generate a profit off of people's bets. They don't want too much "action" (money wagered) on one side or another, to avoid losing their profit. Therefore, they have thought up ways to encourage people to bet on each side.

One of those ways is to offer higher payouts should the team receiving less bets win. Individuals that take the "underdogs" stand to win a lot extra money per dollar bet than folks who take the favorites.

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

The story of sports betting involves not only book makers, but also the law. You may be acquainted with the popular image of the bookie; a thug who takes money and may behave violently when not paid. On the contrary, there are various 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 also, desire to protect the honest competitive nature of sports. With the sheer amount 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 other sort of payout. The history of most sports contains stories of players throwing games in order to receive money from a bookmaker. Laws for example the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act seek to prevent this from happening 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 as a way to put some cash down on their favorite team; instead, the ability to wager is just a click of the mouse away.

Not only are more people able to wager on sports throughout the Internet, the amount of information available increases the chances of making good online gambling agency bets in a way that has never been seen before. Of course, the information also means that books will be able to compensate, however the opportunities for making some serious money (at some risk) will still be available.

It's safe to claim that betting on sports is something which has happened throughout human history, and an element that shall happen as long as there are 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!