The origin of football is shrouded in mystery as many scholars try to answer the question of where football started from. Nevertheless, it is no secret that 19th century England is where and when the modern form of football began.
As for football betting, many believe that it started at about the same time the sport began. However, it was not as sophisticated and tech-oriented as betting on Betway88 online platform. This article will provide an enthralling account of the history and rise of football betting.
The History of Football Betting
There is no perfect history of football betting. Therefore, industry experts suggest that it might have started when the sport began. However, before the 1960s, wagering on football was illegal and took place in criminal safe houses.
Bookmakers introduced weekly betting pools in 1923 outside Old Trafford. The betting pools are still there today but are different from the football betting online on platforms like Betway88 that many punters know and love. It was a points-based scoring system, where punters scored points based on how close their predictions of the outcome of up to 12 games was to the actual score.
The Rise of Football Betting
The football betting industry got a boost when the 1960 Gambling Act legalized gambling. As a result, bookmakers put up shop all over the country. This move allowed football punters to place bets on football in other betting forms other than pools. This was a game-changer in the history of football betting.
The shops were not glamorous places as politicians had pushed for them to be as dark as possible. The shops were not allowed to display any adverts, which hindered football betting growth in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The established operators took advantage of legalization to take their operations to the next level. The prominent industry players in the UK at the time were Ladbrokes, Coral, and William Hill.
Later in the 1980s, the betting shops started being hospitable thanks to new legislation that allowed betting shops to use brighter interiors and have televisions to show the live-action. However, the betting options were still limited. At that time, a minimum trebles rule dictated that a game must be shown live on TV for gamblers to bet on it.
The increased exposure of football pushed football betting out of the shadows. It started attracting millions of customers in the 90s. Sky Sports played a significant role when it acquired the rights to broadcast live Premier League matches. This move provided the punters with more games to bet on as they could only bet on live matches. In-play live betting was born as bookies started taking bets from customers while a game was running.
Online Operators
The advent of the internet completely changed how football betting was conducted. Online bookies such as Betway88 began to gain popularity, and punters got access to new types of bets. Things that seemed farfetched were now a reality –punters can bet on corners, yellow cards, or penalties.
Other significant developments were like the shifting of tax from the punters to the bookies, and the minimum trebles rule was abolished. Currently, football betting is at an all-time high; bookmakers can take bets from punters around the world and offer a wide range of markets.
Summary
Football betting has gone through an exciting journey to become what it is now. Despite the explosion of online betting platforms, betting shops are still going strong. However, the future of football betting lies with online platforms, more so those offering mobile betting services.
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