If you’re looking to start making the weekend fixtures more spicy with some betting, you might be considering where to start and how to do it right. Beyond simply looking at the best betting sites in Ireland and winging it from there, let’s explore some of the best tips to keep in mind when getting started.
Choosing your favourite markets and deciding on a betting platform
The first thing you want to think about is what kind of bets you want to make. Not all sites have all sports and markets, so consider what’s most important to you.
With this in mind, check if those markets are available on the shortlist of companies you’re currently comparing. Disregard any sites that are not properly licensed and regulated (check the footnotes on the homepage).
Next, consider what sits have the best promotional offers, features (i.e. live streaming games, stats), if they allow cashing out, and how good their betting builder is – along with the general feel of the user interface. Most sites allow you to browse without logging in.
Related: The Best Tips For Successful Sports Betting
Register
If you haven’t already been taken to a dedicated signup landing page, there should be a register button somewhere on the homepage (often at the very top). Go through the steps on screen after pressing this and you will likely be asked to choose a username, provide basic personal information, and potentially upload documents to prove your ID and/or address. If so, this may take 6-48 hours to confirm.
Deposit money with your chosen payment method of choice – it’s always best to research (or ask customer service) which method is the fastest, too.
Download the App
If you’re using your phone, the app usually performs better than the mobile website. This isn’t always the case, so it may be worth reading the reviews beforehand and judging for yourself.
Understand the different betting odds, types and features
There’s a lot to cover here, but every site is different. Fractional odds are most likely used, in which 5/1 represents a £10 bet returning £50 winnings plus the £10 stake returned. 1/5 would represent a £50 bet returning £10 winnings, plus the £50 stake returned. Likewise, 5.00 would be the equivalent in decimal odds of betting £10 to win £50, with the stake of £10 returned too.
When it comes to betting types, the outright winner means the winner of the tournament, whilst the match winner means the winner of a match. Over/under is a good choice for predicting the frequency of an event within a game (i.e. over 2.5 goals in tonight’s game). There are more, but this should be enough to get you started.
Accumulators, which you may have heard before (referred to as “accys”) mean that every event must happen in order to win. So you pick multiple match winners, for example, and the odds multiply together – but they must all win. There are some variants of this bet type so make it so you can partially win.
Promotions
Finally, it’s wise to make use of the promotions offered, unless they’re asking you to bet more than feel comfortable with. Some free bets are awarded no strings attached, whilst others require you to deposit or bet a certain amount. Read the T&Cs carefully for the promotions – they’re usually small and bullet pointed. Check if they have wagernig requirements, as this means your winnings cannot be withdrawn until you bet a certain amount over a given period of time.
