Betting Online vs. In Person: Pros and Cons, Part 1

Earlier this year was Cheltenham Festival 2016, one of the biggest annual events in horseracing, and one of the most exciting to attend.  If you were lucky, maybe you had a chance to grab tickets and wager from the racecourse.  If you were there, you could have placed your bets at the teller window, or you could have used your mobile device and wagered online from the stands. 

If you didn’t make it in person, you probably tuned into Channel 4 and placed bets online from the comfort of your home, or maybe a pub.  Regardless of how you bet on the races (or other sporting events throughout the year), you may be wondering which is best—betting remotely or attending an event in person? 

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each. To start with, I will delve into the advantages and disadvantages of betting in person.

Wagering on Events in Person: Pros

• You are right in the thick of the action, which is very exciting.  If you are betting for fun, it is hard to get more thrilling than that.

• You may be able to get a better view and insight into what is going on.  Take Cheltenham, for example.  When you attend a horserace in person, you can see pretty vividly what is going on with the horses and riders on the track.  You also can get a better look at the condition of the track itself.  You might miss a lot of these details on TV.  This can be especially important if you are betting in-running.

• There are no distractions from outside the racecourse.  At home, there are a hundred other things which can pull your attention away from the event. 

Wagering on Events in Person: Cons

• Even though you may not have a lot of distractions outside the racecourse, the course itself can create plenty of distractions on its own.  The crowds generate a lot of buzz, and the thrill of being right next to the action can itself actually disrupt your clear thinking.  Plus, the sheer volume of alcohol available can be overwhelming.

• Betting at the windows can be a pain, and can pull you away from the stands and trap you in line for a long time.  You can get around this though by betting on your mobile device. 

• It is harder to conduct research.  If you don’t have a mobile device, you have no resources.  If you do have one, you can access the same materials you would at home, but it will probably be more difficult to concentrate. 

In short, betting at an event is advantageous in a couple of ways.  It is more exciting, and you also can more closely observe the action, which may impact your bets in a profitable way.  There are disadvantages, though; it can be distracting, and conducting research may be difficult or impossible.  Read on to Betting Online vs. In Person: Pros and Cons Part 2 to learn about the pros and cons of betting from home.