Sports betting in a nutshell, is all about trying to guess certain outcomes of an event. Only you’re putting money on that ‘guess’, and depending on whether you guessed correctly or not you get your money back plus some winnings, but if you lose you get nothing back and that’s what makes it so exciting! The most popular form of betting is sports betting, in which players place bets on the outcome of certain sports matches or even on which player to score next.
Getting started is very straightforward, simply follow the below steps:
Sign up and register to create your account
Make your deposit into your account
Choose a match and event to place your desired bet on
Wait for the outcome and get ready to withdraw your winnings
It’s really that easy!
The amount of your winnings is determined by what we call betting odds, which is basically the likelihood of your bet coming true. So if your guess or bet is very likely to happen and the betting odds are high then the percentage of your winnings is going to be low. On the other hand, if the probability of your bet coming true is very low and the odds are high, then your winnings could be grand. Betting odds can be displayed in a variety of ways and we will go through the most commonly used ones below.
American odds or money line odds is an odds system that displays a negative sign (-) next to the favourite to win and a positive sign (+) next to the underdog to win. In the favourite’s case, the number will indicate how much you must stake to win $100. And in the underdog’s case, the number indicates how much you will win if you stake $100. Let us illustrate this with an example:
New Zealand are playing Australia in rugby and New Zealand are of course the favourites whereas Australia are the underdogs. The American odds are shown below:
New Zealand: -500
Australia: +700
So in this case you will need to bet $500 on New Zealand to win, in order to win $100. On the other hand if Australia wins you will get $700 if you bet $100.
Decimal odds are more commonly used here in New Zealand and are slightly more straightforward and easy to understand. Decimal odds are essentially showing you your total payout for every $1 wagered. So all you have to do to calculate your total payout on a given bet is multiply the amount of your bet by the decimal number shown.
Fractional odds are usually more common in the UK and they are presented as a fraction. For example, if an event has betting odds of 7/1 (seven-to-one) that means that you would win $7 for every $1 wagered, if your bet comes true of course.
As mentioned above the most common type of betting odds you’ll see here in New Zealand is the decimal odds, but we wanted to equip you with knowledge of other betting odds you may encounter in your sports betting journey, just in case.
The number of bets and the types of bets you can place are virtually limitless but here we will give you a brief rundown of the most popular bet types you can place to get you started.
Single bet
The most simple bet type is the single bet, and this is where the player bets on the outcome of a single event. For example, betting on your favourite football team to win an upcoming match.
Accumulator bet
If you’re more of a thrill hunter, an accumulator bet might be more your speed. This type of bet is multiple bets accumulated into one single bet and offers much better odds than if the player were to place every bet as a single bet. However, the increased risk is that as soon as one of your bets within the accumulator bet loses, then the whole bet is lost in its entirety.
System bet
A system bet is very much like an accumulated bet but contains less risk as not all bets need to be winning ones for you to win. If for example, you place a 3/5 system bet then only three out of the total 5 bets need to be successful in order for you to win. However, if all five are successful, the winnings are of course even bigger.
These are the most common types of bets that you can expect to find, and they are all available in our top of the line sports betting portal, so make sure to study the odds and place your bets.
A betting market is a specific type or category of bet on a particular event. This means that the betting markets may vary from one sport to another, but there are a few that stand out in terms of popularity and these are listed below.
Moneyline
Match Results, is the final outcome of a match or game. In most cases this usually translates to win, lose or draw.
Match Specials, these usually vary depending on the sport but some common ones include, both teams to score or time of first goal.
Over/Under (Totals)
Online sports betting often provides the option for punters to place bets on over/under totals. Over/under bets allow you to bet on the outcome of a result reaching over or under the total that is stated. For example, you could bet on the outcome of a match ending in over 1.5 goals.
Point Spread Bets
When betting with point spread, you are essentially betting on the outcome occurring by a certain margin. This can be a popular choice in team sports with favoured teams being marked by a "-" symbol, whereas the "+" sign would indicate the underdog team. In this scenario, the favoured team might have a handicap, starting the game with minus points.
Teaser Bet
Teaser bets allow bettors to adjust the point spread for two games. The bookmaker will likely reduce the payout of the bet as the outcome will be more likely to occur.
Prop Bet
Prop bets tend to evolve around individuals within the game rather than the final outcome. These individuals can include bets on events such as scorers within the game and certain players committing fouls.
Outright
Outright bets are bets that include the winner of the overall competition and these bets can get placed before the tournament even begins.
As mentioned briefly above, these are the most popular betting markets, but we have many more, and these vary depending on the sport and competition. Have a look for yourself!
Another form of sports betting which has become increasingly popular over the last few years is live or in-play betting. This type of betting is for the thrill seekers out there or the more dedicated sports fans. Live betting, as the name suggests, allows the player to bet on certain events whilst the game is taking place LIVE. For instance, if there’s a penalty kick in a football match you’re watching live, this feature allows you to bet on whether the player scores or not, presenting you with the opportunity for a plethora of betting possibilities.
There’s no shortage of sports on our sports betting platform. Whether you prefer the top sports such as rugby or cricket, or perhaps more niche sporting events such as esports. We offer both Rugby League and Rugby Union, as well as cricket, football, tennis and basketball. If it involves some form of competition you can rest assured that you can find it on LeoVegas Sport.
Discover the latest rugby betting markets for all the top leagues across both Rugby League and Rugby Union. You can also find all the odds on our sportsbook for the most anticipated competitions in the sport such as the Rugby World Cup.
Cricket has become one of the most popular sports across the globe with elite level competitions such as the Test Match, taking place over five days with some of the greatest nations competing.
Our online sportsbooks cover all the major football competitions across the globe, including; Premier League. Champions League, the Europa League and more. Discover the latest odds across the football betting markets on LeoVegas New Zealand.
Featuring major competitions such as Cheltenham, Royal Ascot, Epsom and more, Horse Racing is one of the most selected sports for online betting as punters follow their horses via online streaming or live at the world-famous race tracks.
Every year, you can find the latest odds for the best upcoming competitions on the Horse Racing calendar, with an extensive range of betting types available at LeoVegas NZ.
When it comes to basketball betting, competitions such as the NBA, CBA and the EuroLeague, are all popular across the online sportsbook. The NBA is the biggest league in America, with other competitions like the CBA becoming a popular choice in China.
At LeoVegas New Zealand, you can explore the latest odds across UFC and MMA competitions, including the top events to appear on the MMA calendar.
LeoVegas NZ sports betting also includes the latest NFL odds for fans following American Football action.
Having become one of the most popular sports in America, baseball has quickly become a house hold favourite across the globe with Major League Baseball paving the way. You can bet on all the action with the latest odds available on LeoVegas NZ.
Adding to the sports betting options, our online sportsbook also includes the top tournaments in the sport, including; Wimbledon, US Open and the Australian Open.
New Zealand punters can discover odds for Greyhound Racing, with a wide range of bet types to select, such as; the runner to win, each-way bet, straight forecast and more.
Here is a list of the popular sporting events in 2023.
January:
Australian Open - Tennis - Jan 16-29
February:
Six Nations - Rugby - Feb 4 - Mar 18
NBL Finals - Basketball - Feb 5
ICC World T20 (women) - Cricket - Feb 9-26
Super Bowl - NFL- Feb 12
March:
NRL 2023 season start- Rugby - Mar 2
Cheltenham - Horse Racing- Mar 14 - 17
AFL 2023 season start - Australian Rules - Mar 16
April:
Masters - Golf - Apr 6-9
Grand National - Horse Racing - Apr 15
May:
Kentucky Derby - Horse Racing - May 6
World Championship - Table Tennis - May 22-28
June:
AFC Asian Cup - Football - Jun 16 - Jul 16
NBA Finals - Basketball- Jun
US Open - Golf - Jun 15-18
July:
Tour de France- Cycling - Jul 1-23
Wimbledon - Tennis - Jul 3-16
Women's World Cup - Football - Jul 10 - Aug 20
August:
FIBA Basketball World Cup - Basketball - Aug 25-Sept 10
US Open - Tennis - Aug 28 - Sep 10
September:
Rugby Union World Cup - Rugby - Sep 8 - Oct 28
AFL Grand Final - Australian Rules - Sep 30
NRL Grand Final - Rugby- Sep
October:
World Cup 9s - Rugby - Oct
2023 ICC Cricket World Cup - Cricket- Oct
November:
Melbourne Cup - Horse Racing - Nov 7
Follow your favourite sports and explore the latest markets with a free matched bet through Leo Vegas New Zealand. New sign ups can claim their Welcome Bonus of a free matched bet. For more details on how to claim your Welcome Bonuses, visit our promotions page.
With the LeoVegas BetBuilder, you can combine different individual bet options from your favourite sports to create increased odds. When using the BetBuilder for a sport such as football, you can add individual bets such as goal scorers, fouls and the number of corners.
LeoVegas prides itself on being at the forefront of innovation, especially when it comes to mobile gaming. Making your sports betting easy, quick and reliable is at the top of our priority list, which is why we have developed our slick LeoVegas App, available on Play Store and App Store. Making your sports betting easily accessible and giving you the greatest gaming experience at the palm of your hand.
Placing free bets is not available at the moment therefore all sports bets need to be placed with real money.
No outcome is certain when it comes to sports betting so there isn't a given strategy. However, you can research teams and players to understand factors such as who is in-form, as well as injuries to key players that could influence the outcome of a particular game. Having an awareness can help you find the best available odds when searching across the latest markets.
Rugby, cricket, basketball and horse racing are among some of the most popular sports to bet on in New Zealand. You can find all the latest odds from some of the world's most popular sports right here on LeoVegas New Zealand, including options to bet in-play or outright.
The easiest sports to bet on are the ones that you are most familiar with. As there is no clear strategy for sports betting, having an awareness of a sport can help you compare odds and understand each individual bet that is available.
Whenever you see the plus or minus signs in sports betting, they are usually an indicator to which team is the favourite and which is the underdog. The plus sign is typically used to identify the favourite and the minus sign signals the underdog.
To calculate the payout of betting odds, you will need to multiply the odds by the bet amount. For example, odds set at 4.00 for a winning bet of $100.00 will payout $400.00.
Online betting markets show all the latest odds for different sports across the world. You can explore both outright and in-play markets to find bets that allow you to bet ahead of the action or live as you follow the game.