The Difference in Football Betting: UK and US

Football betting has always been a part of UK culture. It’s a wagering nation, with access to countless high street bookmakers and betting shops. Online sports wagering has been available since 1996. Many of the largest one sportsbooks have been bookmakers in the UK, including Bet365, 888Sport, William Hill, and Betway.

The citizens of the U.S. have not been that lucky. The federal ban on sports betting was finally lifted in 2018. Since then, the states started legalizing sports wagering one by one. Now, the activity is still illegal in Arizona, Maine, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and several other states. Some states legalized in-person wagering, but still maintain a ban on online bookies.

The availability is the main difference in football wagers between the UK and the U.S. If you are traveling to the UK, you will have access to lots of opportunities to place your wagers. However, if you are moving from the UK to the USA, you will have to get informed about the legality of sports wagering in the state where you are headed.

That is only the beginning. There are a few other differences in football betting between the two countries. Let us discuss them!

UK Sportsbooks Pay More Attention to Football

In the U.S., sportsbooks are focused on sports that are popular in America. Of course, you will find soccer on the offer. However, all the promotions and rewards are enhanced on American football, baseball, and basketball. Even hockey is more popular than football.

In the UK, we see a completely different situation. Everything revolves around football, and other sports are marginalized.

If you want to bet on football (especially the Premier League) in America, search for a bookie that is popular in the UK, such as Bet365 or William Hill. Before you do that, make sure that wagering is legal in the state where you are located. You can get informed in detail about online gambling in Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and all other states with a simple Google search.

There’s a Difference in Terminology

When adjusting to a foreign betting system, the terminology might be confusing. Sports wagering is known for a heavy slang, which is different in each country. We will list a few terms that are different in both countries:

• The UK Single is Straight in the U.S.

This is a bet on a single outcome.

• The Schedule Programme is called Run Down in the U.S.

The program shows all the wagering options for a league, event, date, time, and so on.

• Accumulators are known as Parlay in the U.S.

This is a riskier bet slip that combines several propositions. It gives the bettor a chance to cash in a large win with a smaller investment.

• Live betting is known as In-play betting in the U.S.

You can place bets while a football match is currently being played, but you have to get your terminology straight first.

• Ante Post is Futures overseas

This is the type of bet that you place ahead of time. It comes with high odds, but you have to be patient and wait for the outcome.

Sports Wagering Is Still Developing in the United States

Although the U.S. has a more diverse sports market when compared to the UK, bettors complain about the lack of wagering opportunities. In the UK, it is common to see 500 different betting lines for one game. Betting ads are allowed on TV channels, and the practice is an inevitable part of a Brit’s daily routine.

Great Britain has the most mature market for football bets in the world. The U.S. sports betting industry is still new and under development. It hasn’t reached an advanced level, but it definitely has a great potential as more states are liberalizing their legislature.