In-Play Betting

The concept of in-play betting (also called live betting or in-running betting) is very simple. Most online bookmakers nowadays offer this option, where you are given the opportunity to place a bet while a sporting event is unfolding live.

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Advertiser Disclosure

Every online gambler deserves a safe and fair place to play. Our mission at Gambling.com is to create a safe online environment for players through free, impartial and independent reviews of the UK's best online gambling companies so that you can play with confidence and security. All ratings and reviews are made independently of the operator by our team of gaming experts and with every company being fully UK licensed they can be trusted to offer fair play. We accept compensation from the companies advertised on this page and this may affect the brand positioning. We endeavour to continuously update this list so we can bring you the most current sites and the best available offers but we cannot review every site in the market.

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Betting In-Running Odds

Bookmakers alter odds on participants in any given event as it unfolds according to how increasingly or decreasingly likely it is that a particular outcome will materialise. For example, you might want to bet on the unlikely scenario that a football team will make up a two goal deficit in the last ten minutes to grab a draw.

Capitalising on live betting odds, which we suggest you do while live streaming with a bookmaker, can turn a string of terrible pregame bets into a host of lucrative winnings.

Punters might back a star footballer to be the first to score only to have him fall to an injury five minutes into a match. Betting in-running on a different footballer to score can help negate the original loss and sometimes even provide extra winnings depending on the live odds provided.

What is Live Betting?

Live betting - which to some is called 'in-play betting' or even 'in-running betting' - is a hugely exciting innovation in online gambling that allows punters to engage with an event as it unfolds, not just before the event of after it's over. The key to success is to first establish whether you will look to be cautious or clever.

The first, being cautious, means spreading your funds across markets and events or simply betting big on what appear to be sure-fire outcomes.

The second, using your whits, means trying to spot where the bookmakers have lengthened the odds on a possibility you think may well materialise. In-play betting requires all the analysis and insight you would use to place a regular bet – just in double-quick time.

What to Consider When Live Betting

1. Odds' Volatility

   Since time is elapsing and therefore certain outcomes become increasingly probable, odds shorten or lengthen very quickly. This means there is very little point on backing foregone conclusions unless you are willing to bet big AND that a small wager on a very unlikely outcome could reap considerable rewards.

2. Steady Gains

   Most punters who pursue in-play betting with bookmakers will approach it from one of two angles. The more cautious will spread their funds across a range of almost sure-fire outcomes whose odds are very short in order to record incremental gains that could, in theory, start to add up nicely.

3. Over-Valued Odds

   Others will attempt to get a line on a set of long odds that they think the bookmakers have over-valued; the outcomes may be less likely, but the one-off rewards much larger.

Live Betting Using a Betting Exchange

Live betting has become particularly popular on betting exchanges, since most online betting exchanges also give the option of lay bets. This means that if you do not believe that a certain outcome will materialise, you can bet against it happening. This gives the punter a greater number of betting possibilities.

Lay betting also provides another way of approaching what could be an otherwise uninteresting sporting event. What’s more, because you are pitting your wits against fellow punters on the exchanges instead of established bookmakers, there’s every chance that you may be able to take advantage of some wishful thinking or over-enthusiastic punts.

The Rise of In-Play Betting Apps

Placing bets during a live event is the one of the fastest growing forms of betting but betting on-the-go holds the title for fastest growing form of online betting. According to multiple reports, betting from a mobile device has passed browser-based online betting as the most prominent from of online gambling.

Combine in-play betting with the convenience of betting on-the-go and you have the future of live betting. Top online in-play bookmakers saw the value of this combo and decided to go all in with specialised in-play betting sections within their betting apps to ensure punters looking to make a quick bet on a live game can easily place it from any mobile device.

We compiled a list of the top 5 live betting apps for any punter interested in trying one of these stellar apps out. Choosing the right betting app for all your mobile in-play betting needs can be tricky so be sure to consider all the factors discussed before getting started.

Check out best betting sites for welcome bonus and offers.

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• In-Play Betting Strategy