BetForFree Blog

The Pig Has Spoken

Jun 24

What is Spread Betting?

Published in Spread Betting by Betforfree |

Spread betting has become one of the most popular forms of betting in the UK and fast becoming very popular in Australia simply because it offers punters the chance to win money far above what they originally wagered. The spread is a range of possibilities offered by the bookmaker on any particular sport. For example they may offer a spread that there will be between 4 and 10 tries in a rugby match. As a punter you have the option to bet that the real tally will be less or more than the spread offered.

Spread betting was created by a mathematician by the name of Charles McNeil. It was designed to encourage more wagering on sporting events that are seen as simple dead certs. For example if Manchester Utd are playing in the FA Cup against Blackpool, Utd will be hot favourites and little or no money would be gambled away on Blackpool. Rather than your straight forward ‘bet on Utd to win’ with spread betting you can bet on how many goals will be scored in the game, how many goals Utd will win by and even how many corner kicks there might be.

The most common form of spread betting in the USA is very simple. The bookmaker will give a spread of 20 points on a basketball game, this means that the bookmaker feels that the favourites in the game will win by 20 points. As a punter you can bet either on the underdog or the favourite. If you bet on the underdog you will win if the underdogs final score plus the spread is greater than the favourites score. For example, if the spread was 20 and the Chicago Bulls beat The Orlando Magic 90 points to 80 and Orland were seen as the underdogs. You would take Orlando’s final score of 80 add the 20 from the spread, which makes 100 and if that is greater than the Chicago score you win. But if Orlando had only scored 60, plus the 20 from the spread that only makes 80, which is ten less than Chicago and you lose. If you bet on the favourite the opposite occurs. So you would take the favourites score then take away the spread and if that score is still greater than that of the underdogs you win.

In the UK spread betting is used predominantly as a side bet. People will bet on an outright winner as well as a using a spread bet to increase their winnings. In a soccer match a bookmaker might say that there will be between 20 and 25 fouls during the game. This bet gives the punter two options to buy or to sell. If you buy at $10 you are betting that the number of fouls will be more than the spread set. Then for every foul over the bookmaker’s prediction you will receive $10. So if the spread was between 20 and 25, you bought at $10 and there were actually 30 fouls you would receive $50. But if the number of fouls was 21, and you had predicted that there would be more than the spread of 25 you will have to cough up $10 for every one below the top end of the spread. So 25 take away the actual number of fouls 21 equals 4 so you will pay the bookmaker $40. Spread betting is a great way to maximise your money as well as keeping you fully involved right to the end of the game.

But as with all gambling you have to be careful, know your limits and stick to them.

Sports Alive offer a great range of Spread betting on a large amount of Australian and International events. They also double your first deposit in free bets. Eg deposit $100 and end up with $200. Check them out here.

May 12

10 Reasons to give the TAB the flick

Published in Sports Betting by Betforfree |

For people who still go to their local TAB outlet every weekend to place some bets, here are the top 10 reasons why you should make the step up to online bookmakers.

Odds

All the corporate bookmakers have better odds than the TAB. Competition is much high and the bookies have very low margins giving the betting public the upper hand.
Free bet offers

Majority of the online bookies double your first deposit in free bets up to around $100 to $200. Checkout our Free Bet Finder for a list of the best offers that most suits your betting styles.
Different Betting Markets
Unlike the online bookies the TAB are not permitted to have special betting markets like novelty bets and exotic footy betting like first team to 20 points etc. Here's a great article on Novelty betting that's worth a look.
Convenience

There is no need to jump into the car with the online bookies, just simply login to your betting account on your PC at home and your ready to go.
Credit Card Deposits
Have no cash on hand? Then its impossible to bet at a TAB outlet. Every online bookie accepts VISA and Mastercard so betting can be done even without cash.
Customer Service

In my opinion the TAB don't have a great customer support team. I've waited in a telephone queue for ages just to get to an operator. The good thing about online bookies is that majority of them have an instant chat facility where they can guide you through the help that you need, right there and then.
Credit Betting

The TAB refuse to give any credit to customers although credit betting has become very popular in Australia. Some online bookies are giving $1000's of credit to approved customers. Checkout our credit betting guide here for more info.
Betting Tickets

Ever lost a TAB betting ticket? I've lost a winning ticket after a “big” grand final day out. If the bet was placed online I would have been OK as all the betting info is stored online where it cannot be misplaced.
Mobile Phone Betting

Technology has moved into mobile devices and so has betting. Any 3G or wifi phone can place bets on your betting account. Very handy for when your at the game to get some last minute bets on. See our Mobile betting section here
Tax

The TAB is taxed by the government a lot more than the corporate bookies. This means less money in your pocket and more in the Governments. Stick to Northern Territory based bookies as they are taxed much less. Majority of corporate bookies are N.T based for this reason, some of the big names are. Sportsbet , Centrebet and IASbet .

Mar 12

MoneyBookers Review

Published in Sports Betting by Betforfree |

There are numerous ways to deposit money into your account with an online bookmaker but only are few are really used. In this article I'll show you one of the best ways to deposit to your betting account rather than continuous use of your credit card online.

Money Bookers
MoneyBookers has been huge in Europe for many years and is just starting to take off here in Australia. They accept over 35 different currencies and they enable you to safely send and receive money instantly.

MoneyBookers is accepted at all the Australian bookmakers including Sportsbet, Centrebet, IASbet and most bookmakers around the world. The advantage to Moneybookers over credit card or bank deposit use is that you can move your money around to other betting accounts without any fuss or risk.

I've been using MoneyBookers for about two years now and have found it great for online betting and even better for online poker. If I have a couple of wins at the horse races with Centrebet I can transfer the winnings from my betting account straight over to my online poker account on another website with ease. It's defiantly definitely a lot cheaper as well, I was sick of all the cash advance fees my credit card was stacking up every time I made a deposit to my betting account.

The support team is exceptional, as it should be when handling money. I emailed them a question about the security of the MoneyBookers website for this actual blog entry and it was answered about 5 minuets after sending it.

They replied with the following info. MoneyBookers use the same online security as the big banks with 128bit encryption that's certified by VeriSign. This means they have a very safe and trustworthy site where all your details can't be compromised. With a Moneybookers account you won't need to keep using your credit card details at different web sites, just login and follow the steps to deposit instantly to your betting account without typing your card numbers online repetitively and risking them getting into the wrong hands.

I would recommend MoneyBookers to people with more than one betting account that want the flexibility of moving your money where you want it without waiting. Theres no need to keep different betting accounts topped up waiting for the best odds. Just use a MoneyBookers account and move the money where the odds are.

For more info about MoneyBookers with Australian bookies checkout the following sites.
The MoneyBookers Website
Sportsbet Money Bookers Information

For ease of use and peace of mind MoneyBookers is a must for any serious punter.
I give them a 4.5/5

Feb 26

Top 5 Free Bet Offers

Published in Free Bets by Betforfree |

There are heaps of free bet offers out there and some are better than others. This is my top 5 list of favourite free bet deals that I have personally used. I found they are the fairest around and I got the most bang for my first deposit buck!

1. Sportingbet
Sportingbet has the best offer around with a minimal initial $30 deposit that gets you a $100 free bet. This was the first bookie I ever signed up with and I haven't found a better deal out there yet for the small outlay needed. I still regularly bet with Sportingbet as they have a great range of sports and other events.
If this offer sounds like it suits, you can sign up here.

2. IASbet
These guys run some great offers and their current one isn't one to miss. It's exclusive to Bet For Free and for a deposit of only $50 you get a $100 free bet. IASbet is great for horse racing with better than TOTE prices so if your into Racing, this offer is for you. They have a handy live chat facility for any questions you may have about this offer or betting in general.
Check out the IASbet site here for more info on this offer.

3. Betfair
Betfair are the only betting exchange in Australia at the moment. They have a decent offer of $50 when you make $50 worth of bets. The difference between other bookmakers is though that you keep the initial $50 free bet after you use it so it can be reused again and again or even withdrawn!
You are sure to get good odds with Betfair usually better than the bookies so it's a good idea to have an account with them. You can check out more on this deal here

4. Sportsbet
Sportsbet have an offer great for larger first deposits. They match your first deposit up to $200. As it is for the first deposit only it's well worth depositing the full $200 to get a $200 free bet. This offer is exclusive to Betforfree and will only be around for the next couple of months. Sportsbet have heaps to offer as well, so checkout the Sportsbet site here for more info on these guys.

5. Canbet
Canbet always come to the party when it comes to free bets. Even after I joined up they still offer free bets to big sporting events. Bet For Free and Canbet have recently worked out a new signup bonus that's exclusive to this site. If you place $20 worth of bets you get a $40 free bet. This is a great offer if this is your first bookmaker to sign up with as there is only a small outlay. You can get a good feel for betting but still get a good free bet on sign up.
For details on this offer checkout the Canbet site here

Feb 16

AFL Round 1 Predictions

Published in AFL by Betforfree |

Richmond V Carlton

March 26th MCG

Apart from the grand final rematch this is the best game of the round and a great opener to the 2009 season. Both teams are expected to do well and it should be a struggle for both teams to get a good start. I expect to see Carton to win this match as I think that there will be alot of pressure on Richmond with many eyes watching if Ben Cousins plays and this will rub off on their skills.
Carton to win by 36 Points

Hawthorn V Geelong

March 27th MCG

It is sure to be a great match between the two power house teams of 2008. Both clubs are playing set an early dominance over one another that will most likely see the winner be the early favourite for the Grand Final. With Lance Franklin unlikely to be playing it may give Geelong a sense of security and will play more freely. After last year’s Grand Final loss I think Geelong will be a polished unit ready for this match.
Geelong to win by 22 Points

Collingwood V Adelaide

March 28th MCG

Last time these teams met in the 1st Elimination Final last year Collingwood kick the winning score by 31 points over in AAMI Stadium. I think it will be a similar story this time around at the MCG. Look out for Collingwood bad boys Heath Shaw and Alan Didak as they will be very keen to make amends for the debacle involving the two players in 2008.
Collingwood to win by 35 Points

Brisbane V West Coast

March 28th Gabba

One word... Brisbane. West Coast is looking to regroup and the home of the Lions isn’t the place they wanted to start to do that. Brisbane should tear through the Eagles all over the ground in a one sided affair. Adam Selwood is one shining light in the West Coast team that should get 30 odd possessions during the game.
Brisbane to win by 45 Points

St Kilda V Sydney

March 28th Telstra Dome

This should be an interesting game as they play similar game styles that suit the Telstra Dome. Both sides need good starts to the season to squash any rumours of another average season. Players like Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Goodes and big bad Barry Hall for Sydney will cause the Saints too many troubles down back and should see the Swans get over the line.
Sydney to win by 14 Points

Melbourne V North Melbourne

March 29th MCG

People may be mistaken for thinking the MCG is a ghost town during this game as these two teams struggle on and off the field. North Melbourne will win this game but not without a defensive hold from Melbourne to stop players like Brent Harvey and Corey Jones. The Kangaroos will still be too strong and win easily.
North Melbourne to win by 39 Points

Port Adelaide V Essendon

March 29th Ammi Stadium

Being played are Ports home ground this game will likely be played on Ports terms. They have a team with numerous experienced players including Warren Tredrea, the Burgoyne and Cornes brothers and if they are all injury free should do well and win this match hassle free.
Port Adelaide to win by 21 Points

Fremantle V Western Bulldogs

March 29th Subiaco

Football will be disappointing for the people of WA with both teams set to finish in the bottom 8. The Bulldogs this season are here to play to make up for a slightly disappointing end to a great season. The Dockers will not stand in their way and will see the Bulldogs win by a big margin. One to watch is Jarrod Grant for the Bulldogs, the 19 year old should play well in his debut game in the Premiership Season.
Western Bulldogs by 31 Points

Feb 10

AFL and NRL Footy Tipping 2009

Published in Footy Tipping by Betforfree |

People have been entering footy tips online for many years now and the competition to attract users to tipping sites has reached boiling point.
There are numerous footy tipping sites around the net that offer a great chance for socialising with friends, colleagues and family. But these days tipping sites are much more, rewarding players with huge amounts of money and prizes.
All the main footy tipping sites are free to play and offer organised leader boards and results.

Sportbet Million Dollar Footy Tipping
Sportsbet are the front runners with AFL and NRL footy tipping with over 1 million dollars up for grabs. The winner of each AFL and NRL tipping receives a lazy $250,000 and cash prizes right down to 500thplace. There are also weekly and monthly cash prizes of up to $1000.
They are now the richest footy tipping competition and make it easier to tip all the hard to pick games. They have the odds of each team next to them showing who the bookies think are favourite to win. And after all does a bookmaker often predict wrong?
Sportsbet footy tipping has a great layout with simple tick boxes to make your choice. Teams can also be created so friends can join and take part in a personal competition. They also send reminder emails so that you don't forget to place the weekend's tips (which can spoil the whole season).

Sportsbet Tipping is open for people aged 18+ and can be joined here.

Optus Tipping
Optus have launched a tipping site and are giving away an 81cm Sony Bravia LCD TV for the highest ranked player at the end of the year.
Optus are also giving away a $400 sports pack to the highest ranked team for the year and an Apple 8gb ipod nano valued at $199. They have weekly and monthly prizes of $100 vouchers and footy jumpers.
Naturally Optus tipping has tipping via mobile phone so tips can be placed anywhere at any time.

Footytips
Footytips.com.au is the original football tipping site and covers alot of sports and fantasy leagues. They are a very commercialised and offer special deals from advertisers throughout the year.
Footytips are giving away weekly prizes of Double Village Gold Class Vouchers and a XBOX 360 to the end of year winner for both AFL and NRL tipping seasons.
They also have mobile tipping that is made available through sms. Messages sent and received cost 55 cents.