In this article, we’ll help you get set up and started so that you can place your first sports bet from scratch.

This article is aimed at beginners who have no experience with sports betting but would like to start and gain some experience.

Where to place my bets effectively?

Bookmaking Shops

In some areas in England, you’ll find bookmaking shops in the town centres. To place a bet in these shops, you only need to go to the counter with a completed betting slip and then pay. The cashiers at the shop will confirm the odds and process the slip.

If you win and would like to claim your payout you can show the cashier the winning betting slip and you’ll usually be paid in the hand unless you’ve won a significant amount, in which they would use a different payment method such as bank transfer.

Online Bookmakers

The most effective way and most widely used is using online bookmakers, betting websites and betting apps. With the convenience of betting in your home and the easy access to apps and websites, online bookmaking is used by millions of people around the world and is, what we advise you to use as well.

You can open an account within minutes and deposit funds. Place bets within seconds and have access to a huge pool of sports and events at the touch of a button. If it is your first time look out for the introductory offers and bonuses that bookmakers have available, you can claim these just for depositing and betting with them.

Here is a list of our top online bookmakers that you can get started with now

There are other options such as Telephone Betting Services however the two options above are in our opinion the most effective.

Which Sport should I choose when starting out?

It’s important to choose a sport that you enjoy and that is beginner-friendly.

The most popular sport to bet on in England is Football and if you’re a fan of Football you’ll often find this the easiest sport to start betting in.

Whatever Sport you decide, make sure you have been following the sport for a few months before betting so you understand the sports rules, terminology, teams and participants. Blindly bet without any knowledge of the game is a dangerous way to bet and you’re highly likely to lose money if you don’t understand the matchups.

We also advise keeping your stakes as low as possible as you start out, every bet you place is risking money and its best to gain experience before increasing your stake.

Other things to know before placing your first bet

We highly recommend you read our other articles to learn about betting strategy, insights into sports betting and tips to be a successful bettor.

We also have a growing community full of hundreds of bettors from beginner to expert. If you would like to learn, share bets, tips and ideas read more about what we offer here