The most profitable forms of what society classifies as “gambling” really aren’t gambling at all. Professionals do not consider themselves gamblers of their chosen profession, either do sports bettors or poker players. It is an investment.



I am a sports fan and my knowledge helps, but you don’t have to be. I am first and foremost an investor, earning a living from sports betting. In order to turn sports betting from a gamble to an investment the most critical factor is learning how the sports betting industry works.









Facts:

- the best team in sports will usually win

- line makers are very good at setting markets (lines, overs/unders)



If you do your research on the lines set and the results over the last few years you will be astonished at how accurate the forecasts are (trust me I have done it). Now for those new to sports betting you might be discouraged at these facts, however you shouldn’t be as it proves my next fact:



- THE OUTCOME OF SPORTING GAMES ARE NOT RANDOM



This is key to changing your perspective on sports betting as opposed to other forms. In reality it makes a professional sports bettor no different than your avid investor or stock broker, but rather than analysing corporations to predict performance, we analyse sports teams to predict performance. Now this is where things get really interesting, most people new to sports betting or those with a casual interest believe they are playing against the bookmaker or line maker. This is not true. The line maker’s are not posting a prediction of who will win and by how much when they set their lines. Rather they are trying to anticipate what the general public think in terms of who will win and by how much.



Why?

Well the bookmakers, like the professional gamblers, are in this as a business. They do not gamble either, and as a result generally their goal is not to gamble on the outcome, but split the public’s bets (as close to half on each side as possible). This way they earn profits by the juice they take on each bet. Thus the professional gambler and the book makers are pursuing two very different goals. These differences open up a great deal of opportunities for the sports bettor as they are not limited by the public opinion.



In essence - an educated sports bettor is actually playing against the casual sports bettors who set the public opinion. Once you realise this, consider who has the advantage:

- the casual sports bettor or fan who spends a few minutes each day keeping abreast of the sport; or

- the experienced & expert (full time) sports bettor?



EXACTLY.



How do you become an experienced and expert sports bettor? This is not an easy step, it takes time and effort. Our expert team at Cha-Ching has been doing this for a number of years. We have learnt all the strict rules surrounding the sports betting field and innovated our own. We crunch decades of data from our specified sports, which is used in combinations with other strategies to gauge the differences in public opinion what will actually happen. We are in effect “grinders”.



But you can do this too, with the Internet the information is more widely accessible than ever before (both information on expert sports betting and actual sport statistics). Alternatively you can pay for these services from others and make your living work free - however touting services are typically a scam so it is important to choose a reputable provider.



It is all out there for you to take advantage of, the only question now is, will you?

By: Jesse Penfold

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jesse Penfold aka "The Yank" is a professional sports bettor and a member of the Cha-Ching Sports Betting Team.

To find more articles like this and learn how to become an expert sports bettor check out the blog at www.cha-ching.com.au/blog or to receive the selections of our professionals, sign up for a free membership at www.cha-ching.com.au.