Rio Olympics 2016: What Makes the Olympics Great Betting Value

Because the Olympic Games only come round every four years, the buzz when they do is always something special. Unlike a weekly football fixture or monthly meeting at a local horse racing track, the Olympics are a global event and, for sports bettors, that means there's a ton of value up for grabs.

Bookies are just as enamoured by the breadth and depth of sporting talent on display at the Olympics as the casual punter too, which means they literally pull out all the stops. From bundling together a plethora of bonuses to collating the latest stats, all the top online bookmakers will be making a big deal of the 2016 Rio Olympics this summer.

Naturally, when the bookies kick things into a high gear it means more value for everyone looking to ante-up. So, whether you're looking to wager a little or stake your fortune on the top Olympic events between August 5 and August 21, here's a quick overview of why the Games are a great time to get betting.

Gold Medal Bonuses

As is the case with any major sporting event, the Olympic Games bring with them a wave of timely betting bonuses and offers and this year things are no different. However, you can't get something extra if you don't know what's out there, so here's a look at some of the latest Olympic betting bonuses:

• NetBet's Olympic Deposit Deal | If you're a new customer at NetBet you can get a 50% boost on your opening deposit up to a value of £50 during the Rio Olympics. After following our secure link to create your account, simply use the NetBet bonus code "WELCOME50" and wager the value of your deposit and a 50% cash injection will be yours.
• Paddy Power's Urine Luck | You can always count on Paddy Power to put together a quirky bonus based on the latest media headlines, and this summer the operator is offering "Dope Insurance". Picking up on the Russian doping scandal, Paddy Power will give you your money back as a free bet if any of Team GB and Ireland finish second to a Russian athlete!
• Betway's Boosts | When the standard odds just aren't enough, Betway is on hand to give you a little extra. Known as Olympic betting boosts, these daily deals basically bundle together two athletes or teams in order to give you better odds than you'd normally get. For example, if you were to take one of Betway's Olympic boosts, you could get 7/1 odds on Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis-Hill both winning gold in Rio.

An Incredible Amount of Data

In addition to filling your coffers with extra cash, the Olympics are a time of plenty when it comes to data. As any seasoned sports bettor will know, the key to victory is information: the more you have, the more informed your bets will be.

During the Rio Olympics you'll not only have the benefit of historical information, but you'll also have access to current data. What we mean by this is that you can use a bookmaker's resources as well as your own observations to make more informed bets.

For example, if you follow our link to 888Sport you'll see a small graph image next to each Rio 2016 bet. This link takes you to the site's stats engine which hosts a wealth of vital information that you can use to make better bets. From a nation's medal haul at the last Olympics to an athlete's career stats and recent performances, there's more information than you can shake a stick at.

Taking this info into account, you can watch the qualifying rounds to see how a certain team or athlete is performing. This combination of past and present data should be more than enough to boost your EV during the Olympics.

Variety is the Spice of Life

The final benefit to betting on the Olympics is that there is so much variety. Unlike the World Cup where you only have football, the Olympics sees dozens of sports take place. From the sprint events on the track to judo, tennis and gymnastics, the roster of events is as varied as they come.

The benefit of this is twofold. Firstly, from an odds perspective it means there are literally thousands of bets on offer during a two-week period. When there are more bets on offer there are more odds, and when there are more odds it means there are more chances to find a juicy proposition.

Sports betting is all about finding the best value. Through the combination of our recommended betting sites and the Olympic schedule, you'll find plenty of that between August 5 and August 21. Secondly, and just as importantly, the range of events on offer means you can try something new and, potentially, find a new sport you love.

This summer promises to be one sports fans will remember, so if you want to get in on the action and embrace Olympic fever we suggest you check out our top bookies for the latest bets and offers.