Betting on sports is something that the British have long enjoyed doing, as can be seen from the fact that many of the most well-known bookmaking firms have been around since the 1960s – or even earlier. However in recent years sport betting has gone well beyond any previous levels of success that it had enjoyed, to become one of the top pastimes around much of the world – and an industry that brings in billions of pounds every year.
Of course a key reason for this is the rise of the internet and mobile devices, as these have made it easier to bet on sports than ever before. Whereas other industries, such as the music one, have struggled to come to grips with the digital age, the sports betting industry adapted easily. Many of the major bookmakers moved online and have seen their success soar, thanks to greater convenience and being able to reach a worldwide audience. This is another key factor in the increasing success of sports betting, because sport itself has become a massive global industry in the modern era – with more people watching, and betting on it, from all over the world.
It is notable that one of the few other areas to enjoy similar rise in success during the digital era is casino gambling, thanks to the emergence of online casino sites.
Again these provide an easy-to-use, convenient service – and one which is accessible to people from anywhere at more or less any time. In the past people were only able to bet on sports, or at casinos, if they attended land-based establishments, and this meant they were restricted to betting at certain times. Furthermore for inexperienced gamblers the atmospheres in these places could be off-putting, which further limited the numbers of new customers they would attract. The rise of online versions of these gambling services has solved many of these problems – suggesting that they will continue to enjoy success in the future.