Changes in the Sports Betting Market

Professional friendly sites introduced a change, around 2004 or 2005, a handful of online betting sites realized the internet gambling boom was nearing its peak, at least in terms of new players registering to open accounts. While other sites were giving out massive cash bonuses and +EV bets to lock in new players, a couple sites changed their focus entirely. These sites decided that professional bettors, the ones they had recently spent time banning and limit collaring, were more profitable clients over the long term. This seemed a risky idea, but as long as lines were set correctly, the lopsided action didn’t matter too much, as the bookmaker would profit over the long haul from their theoretical hold, which is their term for what we gamblers call juice or vig.

For over 16 years we have been leading with the best selection of perks and bets to make this your number one entertainment site, and we keep getting better every day. Today, HeritageSports remains leader in professional action.

Recreational Sites Must Follow Professional Sites

Today, while the number of professionals capable of capping well enough to spot value on opening lines is still small, there are literally thousands of well financed sports bettors, as well as those just starting to get a bankroll built, who understand how to cap the market.

There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of gamblers who understand this same strategy. When recreational sites offer poor lines, as they used to do prior to the days of professional betting sites, it is now easy to see. Compare lines at HeritageSports, and bet anything that is off. As a result, when a recreational betting site tries shading the line, they end up being hit with an arsenal of small to midsized bets that force them to follow the same lead as professional sites. They need to adjust the line to the point where smart money or, more important to them, those following smart money, no longer have an interest.

It doesn’t matter if a site is professional or not. The line which was the last available prior to the game starting was a betting proposition where neither side was +EV. Fading the public might be better than blind picking teams, but in today’s betting market it will not result in a profit over the long term. If it does, there are two reasons: There is a factor the betting market hasn’t spotted yet, and this will correct itself in a matter of a week, or, more commonly, the bettor is experiencing short term variance which will regress towards the mean in time.

For the same reasons that fading the public is no longer profitable, betting the small home underdog, the ranked favorite underdogs against non ranked favorites, or betting other systems that were profitable for years has also dried up. The reason in short: In today’s betting market, it is smart money, not recreational money that moves the lines. Get all the latest Betting and Sport News updates on your social media outlets. Find us on both Facebook and Google+!