Fantasy sports and regular sports betting are two of the most prominent types of online gambling available today. Millions of people worldwide are registered with popular sport betting platforms such as Draft Kings, FanDuel, 888sport and Ladbrokes. This industry has seen exceptional growth in the last 10 years and now commands a huge following. This article delves into this type of gambling and aims to discover the similarities between fantasy sports and regular sports gambling.
Fantasy sports – from humble beginnings to stratospheric development
Fantasy sports leagues have been around for many years. Online fantasy sports leagues however have only been developed since the mid 2000’s. This type of online betting platform allows users to create their dream team and compete against other players worldwide in leagues and tournaments. Users can enter tournaments to win cash prizes, and they can also take part in daily fantasy leagues to win on a regular basis.
Why is fantasy sport gambling so popular?
For years sports fans have created fantasy sports leagues with their friends and families. Online fantasy sports betting simply takes this type of entertainment to a whole new level. Fantasy sports platforms allow users to create their ultimate teams and play out their wildest sporting fantasies. Users can show off their managerial skills and also make a little cash in the process!
What prominent fantasy sport platforms are there?
Draft Kings
FanDuel
Yahoo Fantasy Sports
Sportito
Premier Punt
What typical features do fantasy sports leagues contain?
Typical fantasy sports platforms will contain a plethora of different game types. Draft Kings for example has classic, pick’em, leagues, multiplayer, head to head and casual. In essence, these different game types will allow you to compete in different fantasy sports leagues and competitions depending on your skills level. Head to head, for example, allows you to compete in a 1-on-1 fantasy battle against a friend, whereas classic allows you to compete in a full fantasy league of your chosen sport.
During the various different game types you can select your dream team from an official roster. Depending on the game type, there may be restrictions imposed such as a salary cap or a certain number of players from one league for example. There will be a plethora of accompanying statistics you can use to improve your team and make informed decisions. You can then watch the real life results come in and see how your chosen team performed
Sports betting – the rise of online gambling and a new era of technology
Sports betting started in bookmakers – you could enter a shop, fill out a betting slip and have a flutter on your favourite team. Online sports betting was the natural progression and has taken sports gambling to a whole new level. Sports betting platforms allow users to place bets on a myriad of real life sporting events and win instant cash prizes.
Why is sports gambling so popular?
Sports gambling is popular for a number of reasons. Firstly, it appeals to our love of sport, and our loyalty to our favourite teams. By using sports platforms you can support your sports teams and place bets on your beloved players who you follow on live television. Secondly, it appeals to our competitive nature – you can potentially win big and win quickly. Users can place in-play bets and win a little cash whilst they watch their favourite sporting events.
What prominent sport betting platforms are there?
Bookmaker.eu
Bovada.lv
Intertops
MyBookie.ag
888sport
5Dimes
What typical features do sports gambling platforms contain?
Sports betting platforms usually contain a selection of sports you can bet on. These sports are split into categories so you can easily identify your favourite sports. Popular sporting disciplines include soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, baseball and boxing. Most sports betting sites will have a huge range of available sports and even some obscure events.
In each of these categories, there will be a myriad of available betting markets relating to practically every aspect of the sporting competition. During soccer matches, for example, you can bet on the winning team, number of goals, top goal scorer and even predict the final score or total number of corners! It is common to be able to bet on league standings, for example, who will win the English Premier League, or who will top the Western Conference in the NBA.
In short, if you can think of it, you can more than likely gamble on it.
What similarities do these two types of gambling platform share?
Despite their inherent – and legal – difference, fantasy sports and regular sports betting do share a wide range of similarities. This is more than likely one of the main reasons that these two types of sport gambling remain so popular as they share similar mechanics and features. Both platforms tap into the fun and exciting nature of sport and use this to create intense betting processes.
Furthermore, both platforms understand what makes sports fans tick and what keeps them entertained. The below list constitutes some of the main similarities between fantasy sports and regular sports betting.
Availability of statistics
Statistical analysis plays a huge role in both types of platform. Sports fans love statistics – this is a well known fact. They love to sit and pour through page after page of stats, records and tables to try and gain insight into their favourite players and teams. Both fantasy sports and regular sports betting platforms maintain huge statistical databases to provide their users with an improved experience.
When using a sport betting platform, you can usually look at a myriad of statistics such as league tables, match stats, individual player performance and stats, team stats and even historical data. The amount of available information is great.
In fantasy sports platforms such as Draft Kings provide players with stats so they can make informed decisions about their fantasy teams – they can look at the data provided and see who is in form, and what players are performing well etc. In regular sports betting, statistical data can be used to make informed bets, and even make quick “live play” bets.
Instant gambling action
Instant action is part of what makes online betting so popular. It is possible to make in-play bets during a match or competition and win instantly. You simply can’t do this through regular betting at book makers. Regular sports betting platforms present a myriad of “in-play” options which allow users to make quick bets on various aspects of a live game.
For example, in soccer, you can bet on the next goal scorer, or predict the total number of yellow cards. Alternatively, in fantasy sports platforms you can compete in daily competitions as opposed to the season long standard fantasy leagues.
Use of actual teams, players and leagues
Both betting platforms use real data. Online sports betting sites provide markets based on current leagues and competitions. You can place bets on the English Premier League, NBA, NHL, and a myriad of other sporting events. Furthermore, you can bet on your favourite sports stars from practically every discipline including tennis, baseball, golf and cricket.
Fantasy sports platforms also use real teams and data. You can create fantasy teams using current players in a variety of major sporting leagues. Furthermore, the data and results are all formulated using official statistics and figures from the sporting competitions themselves.
Regular competitions and tournaments
To keep the betting platforms interesting, both types create a myriad of tournaments and competitions for users to enter. Fantasy sports platforms obviously run season long competitions that coincide with the actual real life sporting competition such as the NBA regular season. Furthermore, the major fantasy sports platforms such as Draft Kings hold regular tournaments for big prize money.
Regular sports platforms also run competitions and tournaments. These are slightly different in format and usually take a similar approach to fantasy sports. Some platforms, for example, allow users to pick certain teams or players who they feel will perform well. At the end of the week, the person who has generated the most points from their choice can win a cash prize. Alternatively, when special sporting competitions are held such as the football world cup or the Olympics, regular sporting platforms may run exclusive bets or tournaments.
Desktop and mobile app software available
To allow users to bet freely and at any time, both fantasy sports platforms and regular sports platforms provide browser and mobile app versions of their software. Users can sit at their computer or laptop and access their favourite betting platforms via a web browser.
Alternatively, users can also choose to use a dedicated app to access the betting platforms via their smartphone or tablet. The apps for the most part are well developed and provide all the functionality of the full browser versions. This type of accessibility has improved the profitability and usage of online gambling platforms ten-fold.
As you can see, fantasy sports and regular sports betting platforms are not too dissimilar. As discussed, both platforms use common features that aim to provide an all encompassing experience for their users. Platforms such as Draft Kings, FanDuel, Yahoo fantasy sports, 888sport, Sky bet and Ladbrokes understand what it takes to be successful and have created some truly awesome betting platforms that provide users with an exciting experience.
The infographic below provides a detailed look at fantasy sports betting and how this type of platform has developed since its inception.
