Mobile Football Betting
Two trends have come together over the last number of years to make mobile football betting the hottest game in town.
The first is the inexorable rise of mobile devices. Ever since the late Steve Jobs ushered in a whole new world with the introduction of the iPhone in 2025, the number of internet-enabled mobile devices has skyrocketed to the point where there are now nearly as many active devices in the world as people.
The second is the explosion in football's global reach and popularity during the same time period. A series of huge sponsorship deals have injected billions into the game and a new breed of 24/7 sports channels and websites mean you can follow your favorite team more or less anywhere in the world on demand.
Put the two together and it's not surprising that mobile football betting – in addition to driving payments worldwide – is one of the most popular betting options around. It's simply never been easier to follow your team and grab a slice of the action while you're on the go.
In this article, we'll cover what you need to know to get started with mobile football betting, review some simple checklists you can use to assess bookmakers, have a quick look at the major markets worldwide and much more.
Let's start with what you need to know about the devices themselves.
Mobile Football Betting: Technical Details
You'll be faced with two basic choices when using your mobile device to wager on football markets: either betting in-browser or using a dedicated app.
Regardless of which option you go for, you'll want to be sure that your device and operating system are up to par before you begin. Let's start with your device.
A general rule of thumb is that you should aim to stay within two releases of the latest device model. For example, at the time of writing the latest model of the iPhone is the iPhone 6. If you're using Apple, you want to be on either iPhone 5 or iPhone 6 to be certain you'll be able to make the most of your mobile football betting app or website.
Similarly, with the operating system itself, try to stay within two versions of the latest release. Again taking Apple as an example, the current release of iOS is iOS8. You should be aiming to have either iOS 7 or iOS 8 installed on your device.
With the above guidelines in mind, if you're going for the in-browser option, take the site for a test drive first and make sure that all major account sections work smoothly on your particular device.
If you're looking for the app version using an Apple device, first make sure that your bookmaker offers an app via the official App store. Then download it and go through all the major functionality on your device to make sure it's fit for the job.
Similarly, if you're going to be using an Android device, make sure there is an app available on the official Play store first. Then download it and run it through its paces on your device to make sure there are no major glitches before you commit to that provider.
Mobile Football Betting: What To Look For In Your Bookmaker
Bear in mind from the outset that the mobile football betting market is an incredibly competitive one so make sure to shop around to get the best deal. It's very much a buyer's market so the odds are in your favour.
With the amount of mobile users worldwide, it's a given that your bookmaker should be fully mobile ready. There are however a number of further factors you should judge your bookmaker on when choosing between different offerings.
The following is a checklist of positive points your sports betting site should be solid on:
- A strong mobile offering.
- An established business.
- Competitive bonus and promotion offerings.
- An excellent online reputation.
- Full coverage of football markets.
By contrast, any providers with items on the negative checklist should be avoided:
- Lack of customer support options.
- Confusing terms and conditions or account fees.
- Unclear and/or limited funding options.
Once you've made your choice, getting setup with any of the major mobile football betting providers is generally a straightforward affair. Remember though, as a responsible gambler, you'll need to be aware of the legalities in your own jurisdiction. For example, you may need to verify your ID or age in some territories so always be sure to doublecheck the terms and conditions before signing up.
If you have any doubts along the way, a quick early clarifying chat with your potential provider's customer support can save a lot of trouble down the line.
Mobile Football Betting Markets
The range of mobile football betting markets on offer these days is truly impressive but there is definitely a core set of leagues that attract most of the action. Let's go through the big beasts in brief and mention some of their characteristics.
English Premier League (EPL): The EPL is probably the biggest football betting market in the world. Though it's dominated by a top four of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, it remains a truly competitive league where any team can beat any other on a given day. The frenetic, full-blooded nature of the football on display also makes it a favourite with punters.
La Liga: Despite Athletico Madrid's recent resurgence, La Liga remains very much a two-horse race most years with Barcelona and Real Madrid competing only with each other to see who comes out on top over the course of a season. The presence of the world's two greatest players in Messi and Ronaldo is a major draw however.
Bundesliga: The Bundesliga is known for two things: attractive, high-tempo football played before massive crowds and Bayern Munich dominating proceedings nearly every year. Recent years have seen teams such as Borussia Dortmund take a stand against Bayern's hegemony but most seasons see the title head south to Munich by May.
Seria A: Seria A remains the sleeping giant of the European leagues. After dominating the nineties, a series of scandals, crowd trouble and financial implosions have seen Seria A lose its crown as the glamour European League over the last ten to fifteen years. There are however signs of a recent comeback with teams such as Juventus beginning to become major players in the Champions' League once more.
Mobile Footing Betting Wagers
Mobile football betting comes with its own standard range of wagers. We've picked out some of the more popular options you can expect to find below.
Win-lose-draw
The classic mobile football bet. You're simply taking a punt on whether it's a win lose or draw for your side within the standard ninety minutes. You'll often see these marked as 1X2 – shorthand for home win, draw or away win.
Accumulator
If you have a number of results you're pretty sure of, an accumulator is a great way of chaining a sequence of matches together to maximise your potential return.
Total goals
The total goals option gives you the possibility to cash in if you suspect a particular team is due a drubbing from the opposition or if you are certain a low-scoring affair is on the cards.
Correct score
If you're certain a particular scoreline is coming up – both Chelsea and Arsenal in the EPL have been famous for their 1-0 victories over the years for example – then you can have a flutter on an exact score at usually quite attractive odds.
Half time/full time
Half-time/full-time bets let you turn each match into two mini-matches and wager on the combined results of both. Particularly attractive odds can be on offer here for turnarounds and comebacks.
First goal scorer
The first goalscorer market is another perennial source of value to customers if, for example, you get either a striker on a hot streak or have a sneaky feeling about a defender who has a habit of scoring via set pieces in big matches.
Draw no bet
A nice conservative option where you can pick one team to win but get your stake back if it's a draw. The resulting odds are naturally lower but fans of low-risk punting will be tempted.
Asian handicap betting
An interesting option whereby favourites are given a handicap of a set amount of goals. Can be a great way of spicing up otherwise dull fixture lists or finding value in crowded markets.
Scorecast
Scorecasts involve getting both the first scorer and end result correct. A very popular choice with punters but you should probably consider them more of a fun bet as the odds are not generally in your favour here. Still a great way of spicing up your viewing pleasure for a particular match though.
Live Betting
The live football betting includes tons of options to bet on, almost everything that happens on the court in betable and in real time.
Payment/Funding Options
When it comes to setting up your mobile football betting account, you'll naturally want to be sure that a full range of funding options are available to you for deposit and withdrawal. Below are the default options most bookies should support:
- Mastercard/Visa: Both Mastercard and Visa should be standard at virtually all bookmakers due to their ubiquity, convenience and high security standards.
- Paypal: Online e-wallets such as Paypal offer several advantages in terms of speed and flexibility when it comes to getting money in and out of your account. European punters may also wish to check out Skrill, an increasingly popular alternative to Paypal.
- Bitcoin: For the tech gurus amongst you, Bitcoin is starting to make inroads on several major gambling sites so don't be surprised to see it available as a funding option.
Betting Upsets
Before we wrap up, here are three famous goals that upset the odds to whet your appetite for some serious mobile football betting:
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Man Utd v Bayern Munich: the goal that broke a million Bavarian hearts.
- Steven Gerrard for Liverpool v AC Milan: The goal that sparked one of European football's greatest comebacks.
- Sergio Aguero for Manchester City vs QPR: The last-minute wonder that delivered City's first title in 44 years right at the death.
We hope the information above has helped you narrow down your choices in searching for a mobile football betting provider. With the range of matches and markets available these days, getting set up on your mobile device is a perfect way of being able to enjoy football on your terms while grabbing a slice of the action when you're on the go.
Happy punting out there!
Check Out Offers From The Best Mobile Football Betting Sites