Have you ever gone to a live game or been to a sports bar and seen people on their phones while watching their favorite teams on the screen? You've probably asked yourself what they're doing and why they're wasting their time on their phones when their favorite team is playing. The answer to that is that those people were likely betting on their team. Sports betting is the number one bet on a niche within the world of online gambling. Just as the name implies, it's the act of playing a wager on a sports team of your choice.

The rise of sports betting has likely taken even you by surprise. There are so many reasons that contribute toward sports betting having become the massive industry that you know it as today and this article aims to shed light on some of those important factors. 

Technology at its Finest

One of the biggest reasons sports betting has become the niche you play and enjoy today is down to the advancements in technology. A decade or two ago, it would have been impossible for you to bet on sports as you do today. Back then the technology was not advanced enough and this meant that the industry was far smaller than it is today. Just think about it, if you had to line up at a sports bar and have a bookie manually taking your bet, you could only get a few bets in before being shoved out of the line. However, now that technology has enabled you to get online and place as many bets as you like, sports betting has become massive. With the bonuses and promotions that technology has also allowed on bonusfinder.com, this combination is a real winning duo.

Not to mention that through technology, sub-categories have developed over time, such as micro-betting. As the name implies, this is the act of placing bets on small actions within a sports game. For example, if you were to watch soccer, you might want to place a bet on whether or not the referee is going to hand out a yellow card or not, or whether the player is going to score the penalty. These are all small things that happen within a game that you need to be able to bet on in milliseconds and the platform needs to be able to handle a large volume of online gaming traffic, which is only possible because of technology. 

Globalization Has Taken Centre Stage

Another big reason sports betting has become popular today is because of globalization. Before, you could really only bet on the games that were happening in your town or maximum in your country. However, now, if you put it on the television, you will see hundreds of different games being played all over the world. You can bet on an F1 race happening in England, look at what's happening at a cricket game in India or place a bet on a rugby match between New Zealand and South Africa. This means that as a punter, you have far more access to games and players than ever before. Plus, you can keep your eye on them much easier too.

One of the most important parts of placing bets is ensuring that you know what your team is up to. Research is a key part of becoming a successful punter. If you are not spending time researching your team, then you risk making bets that are not good. Through globalization, many different news reports are being captured all over the world, leaving you with absolutely no excuse to not partake in rigorous research. 

Improved Safety For Punters

A further reason sports betting has become so popular is because of the safety features associated with it. Of course, this is also dependent on technology, as it would be impossible to make an online sports betting platform safe without technology, however, it is great that tech has evolved enough to not just make sites attractive to look at but also safe for you as a player. 

There are many different apps that you can download to add to your mobile phone or desktop, to keep things like your password safe. If you place bets using digital currencies, then you can also look into hardware wallets that allow you to keep your currency secure. The development of blockchain technology is another big thing keeping digital currencies safe and also offers players far more anonymity and transparency when it comes to playing.

Furthermore, governing bodies are also becoming increasingly strict regarding sports betting. Therefore, you can look forward to sites that have been properly vetted, have the correct licenses and are signed up with a gambling commission board. You should always make sure that you are placing bets on sites that have these three things, as it's crucial to your online safety. 

Last but certainly not least, you must also always remember to play with responsibility in mind. Luckily, many online casinos also encourage this, even though you would think it goes against their sales pitch but it really does not. Online casinos only want to have players who know how to manage their bets, budgets and time. Therefore, no matter how alluring a game is, you must stick to your budget and never go beyond it. 

Well, there you have it, a look into sports betting.