Football is the most popular sport in the world, with billions of fans around the world. With more people placing real money wagers on the results of football matches than on any other sport. Around $70 billion is legally wagered on sports at bookmakers around the world each year. A big proportion of this is bet on football games, with people betting on all leagues and competitions from around the world.

While most people know the answer to why football is so popular, lots of people sometimes wonder why exactly the sport is so popular to bet on. Our betting expert Vitoria Oliveira got to the bottom of the issue and wrote up this article on why football betting is so popular.

Online Casinos

Online casinos are slightly different from sports betting, but they offer a fun way to gamble while watching the game. Football fans in Portugal can use online casino apps on their phone to play their favourite slots or casino games while there’s a break in the action. Whether it’s halftime or waiting for a VAR decision, it’s a great chance to sign in and play some exciting games.

There are even lots of football-themed casino games you can enjoy. Several casino Portugal bonus offers in the review are available to Portuguese punters and they can take advantage of these boosting their bankroll. Gambling and sports betting go well together, players can bet on match results before the event takes place and play casino games after.

Lots of Games to Bet On

How did football become so popular? Mostly because it’s relatively cheap and easy to start playing. Football is the most popular sport in Portugal and the world, and as a result, it’s played in almost every country. This means that there are hundreds of professional leagues and competitions taking place at all times.

Even when major competitions such as the Premier League are out of season, there is still usually football taking place somewhere in the world. As a result, no matter when you open up a sports betting app or walk into a sportsbook, you can find plenty of games to bet on.

During the regular season, bettors have a massive variety of games to bet on, with hundreds of different games taking place over the weekend in particular. It’s also incredibly popular to bet on, whether land-based or at one of the online betting websites. The variety in games is a big advantage for sports bettors because it means more opportunities to bet and potentially win money.

A Huge Variety of Markets

As well as offering more games than most other sports, many bookmakers offer a far greater range of betting markets on football. Betting markets are the options you can bet on, such as correct score, final result, first-time goalscorer and so on.

These markets give more variety to bettors and allow them to find the best odds and bet on what they enjoy. Although many other popular sports also offer a range of markets, very few have as many as football.

Some of the most popular markets that bettors choose for football games include over/under, which is a bet on whether the number of goals scored in a match will be over or under a certain amount. Asian handicap betting is also very popular, as this removes the possibility of a draw and makes the odds more even between two unevenly matched teams.

Unpredictable Games

Football is massively popular partially thanks to the exciting and unpredictable nature of the games. In a sport where just one goal is often the decider, either team has a very good chance of winning, even if there is a big imbalance between the talents of the teams.

As a result, betting on football is extremely exciting and can be very profitable if you bet on the underdog. Although games in Portugal are unpredictable, the smart bettors know exactly which bets to choose to maximise their chance of success and beat the bookmakers.

Links Between Football Clubs and Betting Companies

Although this reason may not be as obvious, it actually has a major impact on how popular football betting is. Over the last few years, the number of football teams and leagues being sponsored by betting and gambling companies has increased significantly.

Many of the teams in the Premier League, the world’s most popular football competition, are now sponsored by betting companies. These teams wear jerseys with betting company logos printed on them, creating a strong link between football fans and sports betting.