The world of iGaming is huge, with numerous games offered by casino operators. It might take a lifetime to try them all, whether it’s card games or slots. However, many players don’t limit themselves to the casino world. They also try their hand at sports betting.
Sure enough, sports betting involves an element of chance. But it is not driven by randomness alone.
It requires not only an ability to perform a thorough sports analysis, but also a deep knowledge of the betting process, including finding the right bookmaker with favourable odds and a wide range of betting markets.
If you check the Legalbet UK site, which reviews and rates licensed bookmakers operating in the UK, you will see that they differ in the key parametres, and the comparison provided by the experts will let you choose the best one for your needs.
If you have previously focused only on casino play and are now looking to explore sports betting, you may well ask: Are there strategies that can apply to both areas? In many cases, yes. To help with the mindset of crossing over from casino gaming to sports betting, here are some strategies and tactics that are essentially the same.
What Are the Main Strategies Work for Both Casino Games and Sports Betting?
Budgeting & Staking
No matter what you choose to bet on, bankroll management and a responsible staking plan are vital to your long-term sustainability.
Too often players bust their bankroll by being too aggressive in their staking, or – rarer, but still valid – they are too timid in their wagering when finding value bets to place.
First things first, breaking your bankroll down into units offers a clear, transparent way of budgeting. Let’s say you have £100 in your account. Break that down into ten units of £10, so that £10 becomes your budget for your next gaming session or series of bets.
That way, you have ten sessions to enjoy before you have to make another deposit – any winnings that are accrued are a handy bonus on top.
Alongside unit betting, many experts also recommend staking a fixed percentage of your bankroll. A common range is between 1% and 3% per bet or session, depending on how cautious you want to be.
This approach scales naturally. As your balance changes, your stake adjusts with it, without forcing sudden jumps.
That logic works across both sports betting and casino play. Whether you are placing a pre-match bet, spinning slots, or playing with a live dealer, the stake remains tied to the size of your bankroll, not to impulse or short-term results.
Another useful habit is keeping your bankroll tracking consistent.
Many players use a simple Excel spreadsheet for this. You can set up two separate tabs one for sports bets, one for casino sessions while using the same formulas for balance, stake size, and net result.
The format remains the same, so switching between verticals does not mean switching systems.
Finding a Mathematical Edge
It’s very difficult to find ‘value’ bets in online casino games because each has a house edge applied.
Therefore, every bet you place is what might be called ‘negative expectancy’.
Even so, there are ways to lower the house edge and, in turn, maximise your chance of coming out of a gaming session in a decent position.
You may have heard of basic strategy in blackjack. It is worth reading up on: it’s actually pretty straightforward and, when playing online, you can have the basic strategy chart – which tells you the most mathematically sound way to play each hand – open in front of you.
By applying basic strategy in blackjack, you can lower the house edge to just 0.5% – giving you a far greater chance of ending a session of play in profit.
In sports betting, we can also lower the house edge. Bookmakers apply a margin to their odds which acts as a safety net, much in the same way as the casino’s house edge.
But that’s not to say that they always get their odds right. In many markets, prices can be slightly inflated, where the chance of an event is higher than the odds suggest.
Of course, you’ll need to know your sport and its key players inside and out to spot these value betting opportunities. In that sense, sports knowledge plays a similar role to basic blackjack strategy, helping reduce the operator’s built-in advantage.
Having said that, fully removing that edge is difficult in sports betting and effectively impossible in casino games.
Outside of blackjack and a small number of table games, most casino products, slots in particular, offer no meaningful strategic input and rely entirely on chance.
Bet Selection
If you bet on a single number on the roulette wheel, you accept that your chance of winning is low – around 2.7%, depending on whether you play European or American roulette.
Similarly, if you wager on a longshot in a golf tournament or place a multi-leg accumulator bet in football, you know that your probability of success is low.
But this kind of high risk, high reward betting style suits the personality of some individuals.
Preference for most, however, is in betting on odds as close to 50/50 as possible. That’s why the roulette racetrack has high/low, odd/even, red/black style bets on it, while in sport some markets are often close to ‘even money’ as well – Over/Under 2.5 Goals in football, for example, can be priced in this way.
This ‘slow and steady’ approach means that, in theory at least, you should win more frequently than the high risk, high reward method already detailed.
Your own unique personality will determine which style is your favourite, but be sure to manage your bankroll and stake appropriately no matter how you bet on casino games and/or sports.
