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People bet on anything and everything, always have done, always will do. There is a clear divide
between traditional Bookmakers, pool betting, Spread Betting and exchange betting firms.
On the one hand Bookmakers give a clear understandable
structure of giving a price for a certain thing happening, for instance French Open Betting where you can pick the winner of the tournament or an individual
match or even game and set. Spread Betting firms have the flexibility to create betting markets around complex happenings with a million possible outcomes.
Pool betting is limited in scope but is popular at racecourses with the tote. Exchange betting can give the customer better value but is more complicated and
you will have to factor in commission charges.
All bookmakers are into the online casino business now, as well as many the other way around, so
traditonal online casinos are offering access to bookmaker type offerings. These all come along with poker, bingo and slots as well and some do financial
trading. So one site may well cater for all of your needs but it is still advisable to shop around for the best value and dedicated casino sites will offer the
best sign-up deals.
In the betting world Football betting has broken out of its past restrictions and now, as it is more popular than anything other
than horseracing, you can bet on every part of the game. First goal and last goal scorers, correct score, first half - second half combinations, yellow and red
cards, corners and a big money spinner on the exchanges is the over/under bet. This is where punters bet on whether the total number of goals will be over or
under a chosen number, typically 2.5 although you can choose higher or lower. For all of these its important to scout around on the internet to find the best
sites to bet on football and make sure you get the best odds. In many instances you will find more than a 100% book by doing this.
In the 21st Century
it is fair to say many sports have become popular betting events with constant action 24/7 coupled with live TV coverage. There are now many new bet types and
there is much focus on Asian Handicap betting. Football betting and Tennis betting along with many other forms are now offered as in-running betting, or
sometimes called in-play betting, where you can bet at virtually any point up to the end of the match.
Tax laws have become much more sensible in the UK than anywhere else in
the world. Now there is no levy on bets placed and winnings from gambling are tax-free. There are however point of sale taxes which the UK government collects
from the operators.
Currently it is still illegal to bet online in many parts of the USA although there are now US states legalising this. Big UK
licensed bookmakers do not currently take bets from people based in the United States and many other countries around the world. This is a fluid situation with
countries introducing archaic legislation for their own tax revenue purposes. It is still much easier to bet in the UK than anywhere else with more options and
many bonuses to attract new customers and keep existing ones happy.
Most of the large bookmakers have now moved to relative tax havens, like Gibralter,
Malta, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Here they enjoy between 1% and 10% corporation tax and no turnover tax as they do in places like Australia and
Germany.
All the online bookmakers now have an online casino to go with their operation and they come with a huge number of themed slot games like
Cleopatra slots, Monopoly and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, so the ways to place a bet have never been more varied.
Please click on the links to left
for individual Sports and Betting types. More will become available over the coming months.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission
(UKGC)
The Gambling Commission was set up under the Gambling Act 2005. It has taken over the role previously played by the Gaming Board for
Great Britain in regulating casinos, bingo, gaming machines and lotteries.
All regulatory bodies can be found on the Gambling
Information page.
Before you transfer any money into a gambling account you should check that the organisation you plan to gamble with is licensed
by the Gambling Commission.
Licensed gambling businesses must display that they are licensed and provide a link to their licence register where you can
see what type of activities they are allowed to offer and also if the UKGC have taken any regulatory action against them.
If there is no regulatory
action listed, then they have not taken any action against them.
You can also see their address, website domain names, trading names and current licence
status.
What to look for on a casino website
If you are looking for the best betting sites in uk check
whether the website is displaying a British Gambling Commission licensed status.
Check whether you can click directly through to their public licence
register and if it shows the licence of this business.
Check the terms and conditions for each gambling product - this will help you understand exactly
what you are betting on so you can make an informed decision.
Look for any restrictions on introductory offers or bonuses (like a minimum spend level
before the bonus is paid).
Confidential intelligence line
If you have information about unlicensed or
criminal activity related to gambling, or you want to tell someone about non-compliance by an operator you can call the
confidential intelligence line. |
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