Published by Programme B
Online sports betting is at its highest ever point and there are more bookies than ever to wager your money with on a daily basis. Due to the plethora of online sites to wager money, sports fans often wonder if they can make a living as a professional sports gambler. This isn’t an easy question to answer. On paper, yes, anyone with enough money to invest in sports betting can become a professional. However, the reality is a bit different as many people who aim to be professional bettors do not have the drive and ability to sustain a career as a professional sports gambler. There is a large number of sportsbooks in Canada and the number is growing every day.
This gives Canadian sports bettors the chance to wager on their favourite sports. But being a professional sports gambler is more than wagering on your favourite sport and betting on the team you support.
Betting strategy
The first key element to making a living as a professional sports gambler is having a strategy. You will never become successful by randomly picking games and winners. This may lead to a win here and there, but sustainable winning is not created through random selections.
Some sports bettors use tipsters to give them an edge over bookmakers. However, the problem with tipsters as they often have the same information you can easily glean from a newspaper, ESPN, or an in-depth website devoted to a specific sports team.
There is a variety of betting strategies out there with websites and books claiming they have a fool-proof plan to winning profits. If you find a betting strategy, it is best to test it out to see just how successful it is. But be warned, a bettor that changes their strategy with the wind is doomed to fail.
Treat it like a job
Many casual bettors who want to become professional sports gamblers do not understand the amount of time and effort it takes to be successful. These casual punters believe you just make a few selections, place the bet, and then count the money. The reality is far different, however.
Successful sports bettors research the sports leagues, teams, players, and coaches they wager on. The amount of information pro bettors do is incredible and you have to research and study to get things right.
You must also look for bets with value and back up your decision with cold hard facts. Professional betting is a job, not a hobby.
Be prepared to lose
Professional athletes do not win every game they play in. Even Cristiano Ronaldo misses goals and LeBron James throws up the occasional airball. You must understand from the outset that you will lose from time to time. You may even go on a run of losses and go into the hole financially.
All professional bettors experience a bad run of form regardless of how “nailed on” their picks were supposed to be. Professionals have to overcome these obstacles and having a strong temperament allows you to do just that. The important thing is not to chase money and make stupid wagers to win back your lost cash.
Becoming a professional bettor is possible but like any job in the world, it isn’t for everyone. It takes the right person to be a pro punter.