Smartphones are giving sports bettors an edge

In many respects, the smartphone has developed into a sports bettor’s most important tool amid their endless quest to beat the bookmaker. While bettors of yesteryear were forced to hunch over newspapers and form guides for hours to pick their winners, their modern-day counterparts can simply reach into their pockets and tap a button to find a smart play or two. An endless array of sports betting apps for iPhone and Android rest at their disposal, and tech-savvy bettors that learn how to use them best are well placed to win big.

Get Free Betting Tips From Experts

Tipping services are a prime example of how the digital age has benefited sports bettors. Once reserved for weekly newspaper columns, sports betting tips are now housed as apps on anything from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy or Windows Phone. Best of all for wagering enthusiasts, these apps often come for free. While there is no shortage of questionable tipping ‘experts’ that request monthly subscription fees in return for often underwhelming results, a host of free and reliable tipping services allow bettors to win on anything from horse racing to soccer and tennis. OLBG, Mr Fixit Tips and BettingExpert.com are among the most reputable tipping services, offering daily betting plays that can also be delivered as notifications to users via their mobile device.

Watch A Team Play Before You Bet

For bettors that prefer doing the research themselves, there is no better way to find an in-form player, horse or team than by watching live sport. Mobile apps deliver once again in this area, with a host of major media companies and social networking services rolling out live sports streaming initiatives that benefit the sports bettor. Twitter is among the biggest proponents, offering live streams of PGA Tour events and NFL matches, the latter of which are also broadcast on the NBC Sports app. Yahoo Sports is following the same strategy, streaming hundreds of NHL and MLB matches year-round on its mobile app. In Australia, telecommunications giant Telstra offers free streams of NRL rugby and AFL Aussie Rules, the country’s two most popular sports, to its mobile customers.

Live streaming is also a major feature of bookmaker apps, which have evolved into multi-functional sports services, as opposed to simple betting platforms. Bet365 is one brand that has invested heavily in this space, offering thousands of streams each year of soccer matches from La Liga, Serie A, the Europa League and other major competitions, as well as tennis action from the WTA and ATP tours. Horse racing is another sport often streamed through bookmaker apps. Rivals TwinSpires and Xpressbet stream thoroughbred races from across the globe to their US customers on a daily basis, while William Hill and Ladbrokes do the same in the UK and Australia respectively.

Utilize Real-Time Statistics When Betting In-Play

If the live streaming aspect of bookmaker apps fails to sway sports bettors, perhaps a host of other in-app features will. When it comes to attaining information for intelligent in-play decisions, bookmaker apps offer a variety of helpful tools. Having in the past simply listed live scores and the latest results, these apps now provide comprehensive match statistics from live sporting events. They also offer detailed graphics for sporting events that are not live streamed, giving bettors vital information about field position in sports such as NFL, basketball and soccer.

Use Bitcoin Betting Apps For Better Odds

The proliferation of Bitcoin sportsbooks is another example of smartphone technology aiding the sports bettor’s cause. Due to the anonymity associated with cryptocurrency transactions, betting companies that deal in Bitcoin make their services accessible in countries where online gambling is restricted. They also have lower overheads that result in better betting lines compared to rival bookmakers. Having a Bitcoin betting app is thus essential for those looking to pounce on the best odds as and when they become available. Another way off finding value is through odds comparison apps that highlight which bookmakers are listing the best prices. Oddschecker, Bet2Go and Sportito are among the standouts, each of which can be consulted on any sports event and come complete with in-play odds comparisons. These apps also highlight the best bookmaker promotions and free bet offers.

The vast array of features and functions available on modern-day mobile betting apps have made the smartphone a must-have item in any sports bettor’s toolkit. While there remain traditionalists that prefer to conduct their wagering in person, there is no reason for them not to be equipped with a suite of apps that can be consulted prior to heading to a betting shop. Bookmakers and other betting brands are heavily invested in the mobile space, and their list of mobile products and services will only grow. Smartphone technology will thus become increasingly valuable for sports bettors looking to find an edge.