Sports betting, casino games, lotteries, bingo, poker – these are often seen as different facets of the same business by people and regulators alike. But this is not entirely true – while the activities themselves are similar, there are fundamental differences between them. This is especially true for sports betting and gambling at casinos. Here are the most important differences between the two.

Betting can be predictable

The result of a sporting event can be predictable – if you know what you are doing. An in-depth look at the participants can give you an idea of what you can expect in their upcoming competitions.

Let’s look at football, for example. From the start, there’s a relative difference in inherent value between the players – there’s always a favourite (the team more likely to win), and an underdog. On top of this relative difference in value, there are other things that can be taken into account, from the location where the match is played (playing at home is an advantage) if there are any players missing from the lineup, and even what the weather is like during the match. You can take these into account, along with the statistics of the teams, and their history of playing against each other, and you can predict with some precision what their next meeting will look like.

Casino games are not

Even in sports betting, there are a few markets which qualify as gambling – think bets on the number of crossbar shots or corner kicks in a match. But when it comes to casino games, there’s nothing to predict: everything is ruled by chance alone.

When you play a casino game, there’s only one thing you know for sure: you’ll either win or not. In theory, all casino games are completely random, so you have a 50-50 chance of winning or losing any round. The odds of winning an amount that’s higher than your bet is a different matter – the bigger the win, the smaller the chance you’ll get it.

Casino games are completely unpredictable by design – they are required to be fair and tamper-proof. 

Different regulations

In some countries, all forms of gambling are governed by the same rules. In others, regulators keep the differences between the two in mind, so there are different regulations applying to sports betting and casino games. In South Africa, for example, online casino games are still in legal limbo – that’s why there are so few Rand casinos for South Africans to play at. Sports betting, in turn, is completely legal and regulated, so there are several betting outlets available over the Internet.

Final words

Sports betting and casino gambling are not the same – there are fundamental differences between the two. Where betting can be predicted with a bit of work and digging through statistics and records, casino games are completely random and unpredictable. There is one area, in turn, where they are the same: you need to practice them responsibly and within your means.