The gambling market is huge and provokes different reactions around the globe. Some see it as a part of their culture, while others try to protect their population from risky behavior. Online betting and games are a whole different category, as some countries outlaw them completely, which does not stop their citizens from trying to search terms like bet365 legal in India, hoping to find legal betting options online.

So, if you are a fan of casino games and betting, you should get acquainted with the laws of the countries you are planning on visiting. To help you get started, we’ve made a humble guide to betting while abroad.

North America

The land of the free and home of the brave is not as lax as one might think. Here’s the gist of it: Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey accept all forms of betting. Most of the US has a ban on online gambling, which is why many countries tend to implement a ban on Americans using their online casinos.

Nevada is famous for Las Vegas, known also as the Sin City and the gambling capital of the USA. Nevada was also the only state that allowed land-based casinos for many decades, but poker players and craps-lovers have been allowed to partake in their favorite hobbies in other states as well, among which are Colorado, West Virginia, New York, Indiana, and a few more. Your best bet, pardon the expression, is to keep tabs on the newest Supreme Court decisions and new legislation, as the laws regarding gambling are constantly changing in the US. Mexico and Canada are much more relaxed when it comes to gambling regulations.

Europe

Europe, as an entity, does not have any limitations regarding gambling. Individual countries of the EU have their own respective styles of approach. Germany, for example, allows gaming on machines, except when it comes to betting on horse races, which can be done in person. The French can play any casino game they want, provided it’s in a gaming hall. Online, they can play poker and bet on sports.

Greece has recently become more open to online gaming and gambling. Italy and the Netherlands have casinos. As for the UK, it is likely they are going to keep their lotteries and betting on sports, though the taxes may increase with the country leaving the EU and in need of additional income.

Asia

Japan still does not allow games like roulette or poker, though they are famous for their own games. The country does have relatively lax regulations when it comes to gambling, as their own games have a cult following. Sports betting and lotteries are still okay, though half of the winnings go to charities.

China allows games of chance and online betting and gambling has long been a part of the Chinese tradition. The gaming industry in India is worth tens of billions of dollars, with individual states having their own set of regulations regarding games of chance and skill. Most states allow betting on horse races, whereas betting on cricket is a bit of a grey area, which is a shame, as the underground cricket betting is enormous.

Last Minute Gambling Tips

Before visiting a country, make sure you understand their approach to gambling and whether foreigners are allowed to partake. Even different municipalities may have different takes on gambling laws and regulations, so make sure you do your fair amount of research before putting any money down. Or, you know, skip playing games for this one vacation.

Luck based games are really fun and engaging. Furthermore, they have been around for decades. Also, they have evolved over the years, and some of them have even bloomed into lucrative business models. Today, people all over the world are able to participate so long as they have an internet connection. However, let’s focus on slot machines which are the most popular form of a luck-based game, and see how it all started. 

1891

Back in the 19th century, a New York company called Sittman and Pitt invented the very first slot machine. This happened in the year 1891, and very soon the machine found its way to bars all over the city. The machine consisted of 5 drums and a total of 50 cards, it also charged a nickel per game. So it was a pretty entertaining gadget for the bars at that time. In order to tilt the odds in bars, favor 2 cards were removed and therefore reduced the jackpot chance significantly. Furthermore, there was no payout mechanism so the bar was obliged to pay for the winnings.  

1964

The first model relied on a mechanism, but the first entirely electromechanical machine was created in 1964, and its name was Money Honey. This is also the last model that had the iconic lever which players had to pull to start the game, even though there was no need for it. The reason they kept it is user experience, as lots of players were already familiar with how the machine needs to function. Another upgrade was the payout ability, and the machine could reward the player with up to 500 coins. Its popularity began to spread like wildfire and the model was dominating the market. It was not too long before the iconic lever was removed from the design, which was kind of disappointing.  

1976

One thing that current slot machines have and 1964 Honey Money did not was a video screen. So some years later or in 1976, a company from Las Vegas called Fortune Coin released the first machine that was using Sony’s 19 inch TV  display. It became available in Las Vegas first, and the Nevada State Gaming Commission approved it. It is the model that is really close to the ones we have today so you could say that its evolution was near completion. 

1996

Now that machines were relying on a video the games could be designed differently. So in 1996, the brand new machine emerged called Reel ‘Em, and what made it so popular was the bonus round. In other words, whenever you entered the bonus round your screen would change, and you could also get more rewards. These became so popular that they accounted for 70% of incomes in casinos, which is why they occupy 70% of casino space nowadays.    

The next step was moving the game online, and including a slot machine game within an online platform. This is how the slot machines became way more accessible. 

Over the past decade or so, Esports’ popularity managed to generate massive momentum. It went from minor events to halls being constructed specifically for that purpose. So, with more funds pouring into this part of the gaming industry it is only reasonable that professional players became substantially rich. We are talking prize money, sponsorship deals, revenue generated by streaming and so on. Looking back on how 2019 and its esports tournaments it is safe to say that several players are now millionaires. Here is the list of some of the popular competitive games and iconic players that managed to get the top and reap financial benefits that came with the territory.   

League of Legends – Faker

League of Legends has been around for quite some time and the game has certainly evolved over the years. Yet regardless of the changes to the meta one name has always stood at the top Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok. Faker plays for SKT and currently has a net worth over a million. Even though several Dota 2 players have more net worth than Faker, it would be a dull list to only mention players who compete on those tournaments. Faker is indeed a name synonymous with skill, tactics, and top-notch expertise when it comes to the League of Legends, and deserves the spot on this list.    

Dota 2 – KuroKy

Captain of one the best Dota 2 teams Team Liquid KuroKy is the best and the richest player within this community. His net worth is above 4 million and he is one of the biggest earners when it comes to esports.  Kuro Salehi Takhasomi comes from Germany and his career started booming since 2017. One of the things he is famous for is never missing a single event organized by Valve. 

CSGO – Xyp9x 

Right after Dota 2 pros comes Counter Strike Go bourgeoisie with Andreas Højsleth aka Xyp9x at the helm. His name might not come to mind immediately when one mentions CSGO, but Xyp9x had steady growth and has a net worth over 1 million. His colleagues are not that far behind too.  Counter Strike is another game that has been around for a very long time, and the fact that it is still very relevant speaks volumes of how hard it is to raise at the top of such a huge player base.   

Shadowverse World Grand Prix 2018 – Yoshimoto Libalent Feg

Although it does not get as much media coverage mobile game market is also huge and thanks to Shadowverse World Grand Prix Yoshimoto is also a millionaire. So for those of you who think mobile games are just a waste of time, think again.  

Betting has always been fun, and since it is such a giant industry, you can expect ridiculous awards, which makes the whole process more entertaining. Basically, one lucky day is all you need to get a brand new life. Of course, that is not the only incentive, sometimes you want to support a good cause and your wager is in a way donation. So it is a way to make a good deed more entertaining. Another thing that can make betting more entertaining is bizarre bets. Here we will go over some of the most bizarre things you can bet on.    

Celebrity deaths

Truth be told you cannot bet on these things and expect huge winnings, in other words, it is done through small online platforms as a gag. You typically get points that maybe you can use to get discounts or buy items from the store. If this was really a thing, celebrities would most certainly be hunted down, and hired assassins would have to race to their targets, and it would lead to a truly morbid world. 

Aliens 

Despite all the low-quality Youtube videos, we still do not have an official statement that the earth was visited by extraterrestrial life forms. So, people place bets on the year we finally get the confirmation that we are not alone in the universe. So you might laugh at the notion that aliens exist, or take a position that in the infinite universe other life forms definitely exist, but the smartest guys in this discussion are bookies. Besides, who knows what could be the outcome, the money you’re betting might be completely useless if they invade. 

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World Wrestling Entertainment

We all know that WWE is scripted or fake, so it is really shocking that people can place bets on it. It is true though, and it is for that reason that the organizers go above and beyond to hide the outcome, or prevent leaks. Still, if the outcome is predetermined there should not be a  betting option, someone from the organization can indirectly profit from it, and nobody would know. 

Kim Jong-Un

Some presidents stand out more than the others, and Kim Jong-Un made his name known all over the world. As a result, there a lot of Kim Jong-Un stuff that people can bet on if they don’t prefer placing bets on sports. You can bet on when his regime will end, or how it will end. You can also bet on whether and when he will challenge Donald Trump to a golf game. There is also a bet on whether he will build a statue of Donald Trump in North Korea. In other words, if you love betting and sports and lottery are not your cups of tea, then feel free to explore the alternatives.    

Sports betting is popular, going hand in hand with plenty of sports. Some countries where gambling is illegal, make it difficult for their citizens to bet, or rather, impossible. But, since it is legal in most of the world, most of the world enjoys sports betting, especially when their favorite teams and athletes are competing.

Given that we have lots of new technology around, for example, the internet, even sports betting has become available with a click of a button. There is a small problem, there are so many sports betting sites. How does one make use of such a high number of sites? What is the best way to use sports betting sites to your advantage? Here is how you can make the most of online sports betting.

Use Promotional and Signup Codes

Every sports betting site which is worth a dime has promotional codes and signup codes. You might not get both of them at the same time, but you will get one or the other. Promotional codes, like this 1xBet Promo Code, can be used to have a larger deposit or more cash to spend when betting. Promotional codes can be used only once per person. With this in mind, you can visit multiple sites and create accounts on each of them, to get more deposits. 

The Odds – They are not the Same

Not every betting site will have the same odds for the same matches. This is why you should check more sports betting sites out. The more sites you visit, the more you will know about the odds, and you can even establish an average and see whether your bet is the optimal one. If a single site rates a match differently, that is no reason to be alarmed, but if you find different odds on multiple sites, you might want to change your opinion on a bet.

Not Every Site is Reliable

Online sportsbooks can also be a dead end. You might want to reconsider joining every single site. Not all of them are trustworthy. Check out various review sites, as there are dedicated sites which only review online sportsbooks. If they have any sites blacklisted, avoid them without a second thought. 

Not Every Site is Great for All Sports

Some sites specialize in a couple of sports. You should take note of that before you place your bet. You are far more likely to find various basketball matches on a sportsbook which is dedicated to basketball more than other sports. Some niche sports are very hard to find.

With these tips, you should be ready to bet online, especially if you are interested in sports betting. If you do plan on betting, do so responsibly.

Today’s world has had plenty of interesting innovations. Some of these innovations include mobile phones and the internet. These two things enable us to do almost everything from wherever we are, provided that we have a signal and a connection.

What do people do with their mobile phones, you ask? Well, a lot of things. They call one another, text one another, view each other’s profiles on social media, search the internet, view videos and even gamble. Yes, the internet is used for gambling, from online casinos, to sports betting. You only need to register on a site, following a simple guide, like this Bet9ja registration guide, and you are set to explore the world of online casinos and sportsbooks.

And that world has plenty of new shiny toys to show you. One of those toys is Virtual Football Betting. Here is everything you need to know about it.

Virtual Football Betting – What to Expect

You know how regular betting works? You see the odds, maybe study the teams/players and place your bet, win, lose or tie. Well, virtual football betting works the same, except that the matches are completely simulated by an unbiased computer. They are tweaked so that they match the skill level of the teams at the moment, but they are nowhere like the real matches. So, they are more like a game of roulette or slot machine, closer to roulette than slot machine. Slot machine games are completely random and not in your favor, while you can estimate some odds when you play roulette. With virtual football, you can expect almost anything, but for most of the time, the virtual teams to play the games out according to the odds.

Is Virtual Football Right for You?

Do you like gambling in general or do you prefer doing your own research? If you prefer simple gambling, then bet on virtual football games. They are always available to you and you can bet at any given time. Real matches, on the other hand, require you to do a little research if you want to actually profit and even then, games are turned by a substitution or a couple of players having their hero moments. If you like to do your research and are more interested in stats than a pure gambling experience, you should bet on real football. 

Where Can You Bet on Virtual Football?

Well, most reputable online sportsbooks offer virtual football as a “sport” to bet on. What you need to know is that not all sportsbooks have the same algorithm for deciding who the winner between the two virtual teams will be. Be careful when choosing a site to give your money to. If you have doubts, read reviews, and if you have more doubts, bet on real football matches.

Virtual football is basically a simulated football match which you can watch on your screen or in VR. It is much more gambling than regular sports betting where you can actually do your research and increase the odds for yourself. Gambling is still gambling and if you plan on doing it, gamble responsibly.

When you start playing video games, did you ever think that you could have competed professionally? If you were in West Europe or the United States during the 90s, then you could have attended some events and competed in games like Quake and Street Fighter, not to mention the first Starcraft. Yes, these were all esports titles. Ironically, people consider esports to be only games which you can play online, but almost all large esports tournaments are played on a local network, for a couple of simple reasons, speed, control and practicality. So, what is esports, for those who have never heard of the term? Here is everything you need to know about it, step by step.

Esports or Electronic Sports

The name should be self-explanatory, esports stands for electronic sports and refers to people competing in various video games on a professional level. Today, there are amateur and professional leagues, not to mention academy leagues, which are used to train new players to become professionals. Each popular video game has its own professional leagues which are organized by sponsors and the developer/publisher. For example, Tencent and Riot Games organize the League of Legends tournaments, like the LCS, LEC, LCK and LPL, not to mention the World Championship. Each of the four are regional championships which have, like regular sports, their regular season and playoffs. Some esports copy the formats of physical sports, while other esports find a format which is more suitable to their game.

Who Can Compete and In Which Game?

Any player who is good enough can be an esports athlete. The age of esports athletes is anywhere between 17 and 40. Some athletes start younger but most professional leagues do not allow competitors to be younger than 17. Whether you get picked up by a team or if you get good enough on your own, for example, in strategy games or fighting games like Street Fighter V. Some players are better when they go over 30, even though their reflexes might slow down, their game knowledge and maturity often helps. Younger players often struggle with emotions and in general, growing up (given that most of them start as very young teenagers).

Can You Bet on Esports?

Yes, esports betting has become really popular, so much, that people who have not even considered esports real sports and have laughed at the idea, have started to bet on esports. A market is a market, to punters. Some have even found a new love for teams and brands which participate across different games. Plenty of online bookmakers offer betting on popular esports titles. Even local bookmakers have started allowing people to bet on esports matches.

How Can You Watch Esports?

Esports titles can be watched on any online streaming service, for the west, YouTube and Twitch.tv for most of the time. In China, for example, some western sites are banned and you can watch streams through their media. Esports is most often streamed and organizers almost always save videos on demand, or VODs, for fans to watch in case they miss a live stream.

 

Now that you know a bit more about esports, will you consider watching some matches, live or otherwise? You might end up liking it a lot.

At first glance, betting seems rather simple. You go to a kiosk, say the name of the team, dog or horse that you think will win and wait for the outcome. And it is supposed to be like that, beginners should know how it works right from the get-go and the concept needs to be simple. However, as you delve deeper into all the possible bets and circumstances, your head starts to hurt and tell yourself that it is more fun to keep it simple. This is why betting is actually hard, as it takes time and energy to unravel all the factors and then place your bet. Here we will go over some reasons why betting is harder than a lot of us think.  

Understanding how it works

In order to understand how it works, you need to learn from experience, which can be costly. Luckily if you bet with bet 365, or other online sportsbooks with welcome bonuses, you can reduce these costs. Basically, your first step as a beginner is to be on a lookout for as many online platforms as possible where you are eligible to place your bets. A lot of providers offer generous welcome bonuses, and these are really the safest approaches to make money, in a way, from betting. 

Whenever you place a bet a portion of those funds will always go to the bookie, 10% in most cases. In other words, you never win a full amount as the bookie will always get a slice of your funds.

Reducing the luck factor as much as possible

Now it is time to take deep dive into all of the possible bets and to examine the possible outcomes. You should also make sure to inform yourself how certain bets are handled in the case of unforeseen events. It is for the best to place bets unbiased, and really take a deep dive into the recent history of competitors. That way you can weigh your own factors against those presented by the sportsbook. Also, do not just think within the lines who will win or lose or if it will be a tie. 

Think about other bets you can place that might be more certain, like the number of points scored in general, etc. It is this type of analysis that makes betting really hard because when you are this much invested, the loss hits you way harder, but the victory also tastes so much sweeter, because you know it wasn’t just luck that you won.  

Playing smart 

Another difficult part of betting is showing restraint, especially if you are on a losing streak. Our impulses get the better of us and we just want a single win before we call it a day. So we start betting on random games, unknown matchups, and even slot machines, thinking that we are bound to get lucky at one point. Remember that you always have agency and that it is because of that the betting is fun if you place it all on luck that is when you start truly losing.