Football (or soccer) has always been closely associated with the gambling industry and it’s hard to determine a time when the connection was first formed. It was in the 1960s, however, when gambling was legalised, that the relationship between betting and football really took off and made a noteworthy appearance. If you’re interested in betting on the champions league, these tips for todays football would be great for you.

Now, with bookmakers’ shops on the rise and with the huge strides in online betting, the gambling sector is growing and thriving more than ever. As a matter of fact, this relationship has helped both industries to flourish.

So, How Did It All Start?

It was almost at the exact https://wimed.org/ moment when the 1960 Gambling Act legalised gambling, that betting shops made their way out of hiding and going forward, football fans could legally bet on football. This was a massive breakthrough in the history of sports betting as a whole – but for football especially. It also opened up a variety of new opportunities for punters.

Major business tycoons gained a new-found interest in this change in legislation with William Hill, Coral and Ladbrokes dominating the British sports betting market.

Betting shops were still heavy regulated way into the 1980s, however, and bookies were encouraged to keep their businesses discrete despite the fact that their dealings were now legal. It was only towards the 90s that games were encouraged to be televised and as soon as this happened, then a sports event had to be shown live on TV for a punter to bet on it (for a treble bet, that is). This media coverage pushed the “discrete” element to the wayside and in most Western countries, gambling became a free for all (for those over the age of 18, of course).

What does the future hold?

Once sports became televised, football gained tons of new spectators – but that was nothing compared to the stir of excitement that arose with the introduction of the internet. The internet has simultaneously taken football and betting to a completely new level. Now, footie fans can watch (and bet on) their favourite games at any time and from any place.

And the future – it continues to brighten.

When estimating the worth of the sports match betting industry, analysts reached a figure that averages £430 billion (that’s a whole lot of money)! What’s even more surprising to note is that football makes up 70% of this total. Focusing on these figures and considering history, it’s safe to assume that football and gambling will stick around for many years to come.

It’s become a common practice for football fans (especially those in the UK) to place a wager on their favourite team before a game begins. This habit doesn’t show any inclination of changing anytime soon. In fact, with the advances in modern technology and the possible introduction of Virtual Reality gambling, sports professionals predict that football and betting will continue to grow simultaneously – now more than ever.