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Athletics Betting Sites

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Find the Best Place to Bet on Athletics
Rebecca E

Athletics has been around for centuries, and so has athletics betting. This field covers many disciplines and is also one of the most popular ways to bet on sports. In this article, I will cover everything you need to know about choosing the best athletics betting sites.

List of the Best Athletics Bookmakers

Athletics covers a sizable group of sports, which explains why athletics betting is so popular. Consequently, this also explains why most online sportsbooks offer athletics odds and betting markets on all of its disciplines. Here, you can unlock the secrets of successful betting at BetZillion.

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However, while finding a bookmaker that will accept your athletics bets is easy, you should take the time to find the best one. It is a fairly straightforward process as you only need to keep an eye on 2 important things – the quality of the athletics odds and market depth.

If a bookmaker has competitive odds, enough market depth, and is legal, trusted, and licensed bookmaker, you have found a solid athletics betting site. Many sites fit that bill, including William Hill and Bwin, but those are just 2 of many athletics betting sites that can offer you a solid athletics betting experience.

Feature Sportsbook
⭐ Best Betting Site: William Hill
⭐ Best for Bonuses: Gamebookers
⭐ Top Mobile App: 22Bet
⭐ Best for Live Betting: ZetBet
⭐ High Payout Bookie: Ivibet
⭐ Safe Bookmaker: SpinBetter
⭐ Top for Extra Features: ZodiacBet

Athletics Betting Offers

Any good athletics betting site will offer competitive odds and a solid gambling market. And even though those are 2 key things you need to look for, it helps that you also pick a bookmaker that can offer you athletics betting bonuses and other promotions.

Offers, bonuses, and promotions are the best and easiest way to get extra value for your money and should always be taken advantage of. Admittedly, not all sportsbooks will offer a betting bonus, but you can be sure there will be promotions once a prominent athletic event is on the schedule.

So while you should not consider athletics betting bonuses as the most crucial thing a bookmaker can have, it certainly helps that you find a bookmaker with the best bonuses for you to use.

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Most bonuses – such as odds boosts or deposit bonuses – won’t require you to do anything more than place a bet or deposit money. Still, others might have some terms and conditions, so check if you’re eligible for the bonuses before risking your money.

How Does Athletics Betting Work

If you have never bet on athletics before, it might sound like a daunting task, but we’re here to tell you that online betting on athletics is pretty straightforward after you get familiar with the fundamentals.

Most importantly, you should know the most basic things about online sports betting, meaning you need to know what the odds mean and how sportsbooks operate. Besides that, you have to get familiar with the many wager types that athletic sports have, but none is too different from the most common bet types you’ll find betting on other sports.

Experienced bettors can skip the first 2 steps and focus on the find one. That is getting familiar with the discipline you plan to bet on, getting to know the players or teams and learning how and where to find valuable information that will help you decide on your athletics bets.

If we draw a line, getting into betting on athletics requires you to take the same steps you would have if you decided to start wagering on football, basketball, ice hockey, or Esports. You need to know the basics of online sports betting and get knowledgeable about the sport you want to bet on.

Athletics Odds

Athletics might not be as popular as football, but it’s still a massive hit among sports bettors. Any reputable online bookmaker will offer athletics odds and betting markets.

However, while finding a bookmaker that offers athletic betting odds is simple, you have to know that sportsbooks often won’t have the same prices. All athletics bookmakers have systems to set the odds, which explains why you might find different prices on the same event.

For example, William Hill can have Christian Coleman priced at 3/1 to win the next Olympics Games 100m sprint, while 22bet might offer 4/1. It is also a perfect example of why you should have betting accounts with multiple bookmakers, as only this way you will be able to wager at the best prices.

Remember, no such thing as the best athletics bookmaker will always have the best odds. Instead, if you want to bet with the best prices, you need to price shop and check all the available offers on all bookmakers.

Before you can do that, you need to know how to read athletics odds, but that’s simple, as the offered odds on athletics don’t differ much from the offers on any other sport. What you should know, however, is what all the different bet types mean and what they’re used for, so keep reading to find our list of the most popular athletics betting markets!

There is no shortage of athletics competitions worldwide for your viewing enjoyment and world athletics betting needs. There are way more athletics events that a casual athletics fan knows of, yet only a few stand out as the most popular.

Olympic Games

Athletics is an integral part of the Olympic Games, more precisely, the Summer Olympics, arguably the most prestigious athletics competition in the world. Ultimately, all athletes are judged on their success at the Olympics – even more so than their performances at the World Championship, Commonwealth Games or any other international competition.

Unsurprisingly, Olympic Games are also top-rated amongst people who enjoy online betting on athletics, and there are a few reasons for that. The Olympic Games feature a plethora of athletic disciplines, and there is no shortage of Olympics athletics betting promotions you can find on athletics betting sites.

World Athletics Championship

The World Athletics Championship, or simply Athletics World Championship, is an annual athletic tournament beside the Olympic Games, the most prestigious competition in the world. Not only does it welcome some of the best athletes from all over the globe, but just like the Olympic Games, the Athletic World Championship is well covered by all athletics bookmakers.

So you can be sure that you won’t struggle to find athletics odds if you desire to wager on the World Championship, and there won’t be any shortage of athletics betting bonuses either.

Diamond League

Diamond League is an annual athletic tournament featuring field athletic and elite track competitions. Although not as prestigious as the World Championship or the Olympics, Diamond League is highly popular among people who like online betting on athletics.

The main goal of the Diamond League is to improve the appeal of athletic disciplines outside of Europe. As of 2024, the Diamond League has already been held in Asia, North America, and Africa to help with the sport’s global recognition.

History of Athletics

If you want to learn about the history of athletics, you have to go back to Ancient Greece, where it all began. Perhaps athletics were present way before that, but historians estimate that the origins of track and field began in the 9th  and 10th century B.C. in Greece. By 776 B.C., athletics became so popular that it was included in the Olympic games.

Since then, the sport has continued to evolve, introducing new and innovative disciplines, including many different events. But the most popular are road, cross country, racewalking, and track and field disciplines.

Track and field remain the most popular to date. The track includes sprints (60-400m), middle-distance (800-3000m), and long-distance running (5000-10,000m), whereas the field includes relays, throws (shot put, hammer, javelin, and discus throws) and jumps (long, triple, high, and pole).

Lastly, there are also combined events in Pentathlon, Heptathlon, and Decathlon. Interestingly, all 3 combined events got their names from the Ancient Greece language, with decathlon being an analogy to the word “pentathlon”, with “Deka” meaning ten.

How to Bet on Athletics

Betting on athletics can be extremely fun, whether you’re a diehard athletics fan or just a casual viewer. But not only can athletics betting online be fun, but it can also be lucrative for those who know how to approach it correctly.

Here we provide tips and tricks on how to bet on athletics, what you should do and which things you should avoid to set yourself up for success every time you place a real money bet.

  • When looking for the bookmaker where you’ll place your athletics bets, it’s important to only register with reputable, licenced, and safe online betting websites. But not only should the website you choose be secure, but it must also have all the features you’ll need for an enjoyable experience while betting on athletics.
  • The bookmaker you pick needs to have competitive athletics betting odds and enough betting markets so you can bet on whatever you want.
  • Preferably, you should register with multiple athletics betting sites, so you have access to as many betting markets as possible, which will allow you to price shop.
  • Although not as important, it helps if the sportsbooks have athletics betting bonuses such as free bets, odds boosts, deposit bonuses, and more.
  • Even if you don’t plan to bet on your mobile device, it helps that you register with a bookmaker with a betting app.
  • Before placing your first athletics bet, you need to pick a discipline you’ll bet on. Although you can wager on all disciplines, from running to javelin throw, it helps start with one and work your way up.
  • Find a reputable online betting website that provides you with news, stats about the athletes, and other useful information to help you make your picks.
  • You should also expand your information network by adding a website with athletics betting tips and previews.
  • Find a betting strategy that suits you and learn how to manage your bankroll.

The latter is the most important thing you need to learn if you want to achieve long-term profits, but since there are many guides available in 2024, there is no excuse for not knowing how bankroll management works.

If you wish to start online betting on athletics, you might be happy to hear that there are numerous ways to approach it. Not only can you bet on many different disciplines, but the athletics betting sites also ensure you have enough gambling markets and different athletics bets to choose from.

Here we will look at some of the most popular athletics betting markets, but know that sportsbooks offer far more variety of athletics bets, particularly during significant events such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and the World Championship.

To Qualify

Athletics includes numerous events in which the participants compete for medals; however, they must qualify before they can do so. For example, an athlete can’t just enter the Commonwealth Games and compete for the title but must first be eligible for the main race.

And you shouldn’t be surprised that you can bet on which athlete will qualify for any event. It is a popular future wager available on all online athletics betting sites.

To Win the Event

Once an athlete qualifies for an event, he can compete to win, and as a bettor, you can bet on which athlete will come out ahead. It is the simplest wager type you’ll find while betting on athletics, as it only requires you to predict which athlete will win the gold medal.

You can find the “to win” bet on any event, especially if you’re looking at odds for Athletics World Championships or any other crucial sporting event.

To Win a Medal

To win a medal is one of the most popular bet types amongst punters who engage in online betting on athletics. As its name would suggest, this is a wager on whether a certain athlete will win a medal or, in other words, finish the event inside the top 3.

Some athletics betting sites will also name this market as “to finish on the podium” or any other name indicating that you’re betting on an athlete to end the event inside the top 3. It’s a reasonably straightforward bet you can find while betting on any other sport about racing and a common wager type available on cycling bookies and Formula One bookies.

To Set a World Record

Sportsbooks will also allow you to bet on whether an athlete will set a world record. Although not as popular a bet type as those above 3, it is very prevalent and widely available during significant events. Don’t be surprised to see it as an Olympics athletics betting promotion.

World and Olympic records are a big deal for both the fans of the sport and the world of athletics betting. That is mainly because this niche wager type offers generous payouts, offering athletics betting odds much higher than any other athletic wager.

Athletics Betting Tips & Predictions

Before you place your first bet, you must carefully analyze all the available information about the upcoming event and athletes. This way, you will have enough data to make smart predictions and set yourself up for success.

It might be a very tedious task for casual bettors, who can’t afford to spend hours analyzing the next race only to place a $5 bet. But there is a way to earn you the same results, albeit with far less time investment.

If you don’t have the time to research, you can instead follow athletic betting experts and their wagering previews. And even if you prefer to make your own choices on what to bet on, it’s advisable to have access to Athletics betting tips and previews.

Well-made betting previews are a highly efficient source of information, essentially condensing all the available data and stats on the next competition in a short, readable format. So even if you don’t plan to follow the betting tips, it helps to check what other people think about the upcoming competition to get a second opinion on your athletics bets.

Athletics Betting Strategies

We have covered most of what you need to know before placing athletics bets, from where to find the best athletics betting sites, which wager types are available and what competitions you can bet on. So all there is left to do is to tell you about a few strategies that will help you succeed.

If you’re new to betting on athletics, you should start with just one discipline. Because athletics comprises many different sports, it’s elementary to get caught up in betting on all, but this will only harm your chances of succeeding.

If you want to wager on a sprint, learn everything there is to know about it, and once you feel confident in betting on the discipline and have become efficient in making a profit from it, move to another sport.

Use as many sportsbooks as possible; this way, you can be sure that you’ll always bet with the best prices.

Pay close attention to the latest news about the athletes. Spotting an unexpected injury or any other event that might affect how the athlete will perform in the upcoming event before the bookmakers guarantee that you’ll be able to find value bets.

You should always use only the best athletics betting sites, such as Ladbrokes, Bwin, and William Hill, but if you can, register on betting exchanges. The latter offers better odds, but you can also lay athletes, i.e. bet against them rather than on them.

Athletics Overview

We end our article with exciting facts about athletics and online betting on athletics.

  • Some of the most popular athletics competitions and events include the Athletics World Championship, Summer Olympic Games, Diamond League, the Commonwealth Games, and Marathons – namely the New York Marathon and the Chicago Marathon.
  • Usain Bolt, Michael Johnson, Tyson Gay, Carl Lewis, Haile Gebrselassie, Renaud Lavillenie, and Neeraj Chopra are some of the most popular and successful athletes in their respective disciplines.
  • Athletics is very popular in the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and India.
  • Athletics includes many different sports, namely running, throwing, and jumping.
  • The most popular and legal online bookmakers for athletics betting include LVBet, William Hill, Bet365, Bwin, and 32Red Sports.

Bottom Line

It ends our in-depth athletics betting guide, covering everything you need to know about where to find the best athletics betting sites and how to approach gambling on athletics. Now go, visit the top-rated betting sites, choose the best bookmaker for athletics wagering and start betting!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can you bet on athletics online?
    Yes! You can bet on athletics online on essentially all online sportsbooks. Although some lesser athletic events will only be covered by athletics betting sites, all sportsbooks will offer odds on major competitions such as the World Championship and the Olympic Games.
  • What is the best athletics betting site?
    There is no clear best athletics betting site, but many are extremely popular amongst people who bet on athletics. Some of the best platforms include Bet365, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Bwin, and LVBet, so you can’t go wrong with picking either of them.
  • What sports are in athletics?
    Athletics comprises many sports, yet the most popular include road running, cross-country running, racewalking, and track and field, which consists of sprints, middle-distance and long-distance running, hurdles, relays, jumps and throws.
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    Rebecca E
    Author
    Writer & Media

    Rebecca is a Liverpool gal and a big fan of the club. She likes nothing more than sharing tips and predictions on sports betting. Her other favorite sports include horse racing, snooker, and golf. Rebecca is in charge of writing and media at BetZillion. You can thank her for making our articles look so great.

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