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How To Bet On Summer Games: Complete Guide | LeoVegas

How To Bet On Summer Games: Complete Guide

There’s no all-around sporting event that makes the world sit up and take notice the same way that the Summer Games do. While the World Cup might grip people, the versatility and diversification of athletic prowess that is on display in the premier global athletic competition is a true sight to behold.

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With hundreds of millions of people tuning in all over the world, gambling companies spend days and weeks compiling markets for people to place bets of their choosing.

BET NOW ON SUMMER GAMES

How To Bet on Summer Games

Let’s take a look at the basics to get you started. If you’re a fan of a specific sport within the Summer Games or looking to place a sports bet for the first time, then getting to know the basics is crucial. When the come around every four years, it’s something the world pays attention to, and this includes gambling companies who are more than happy to provide you with markets to select from.

Creating a betting account

Starting with the first step, shopping around and choosing a provider you like the look of should be the place to begin your betting journey. One of the main elements to consider is seeking out a provider with bonus codes and promotional welcome offers. Creating a betting account is relatively simple. Gambling providers understand that getting people on board is the main route to success.

This means ensuring you have an efficient and easy onboarding process is another key component. Once you have entered your personal details, credit card information and bonus code, you’ll be able to access the betting market within minutes.

Regardless of whether a provider has dozens of betting options and markets for you to choose from, you want to be able to navigate their app or site without issue. This is one area where preference and subjectivity come into play. In some cases, you can take advantage of no deposit bonus codes and promotions to test out betting apps and sites before you decide to deposit your actual funds to place your bet.

Making different types of bets

We will be breaking this down in a lot more detail, but ensuring you understand the market you’re betting on is imperative. Many sports involve various weight classes, disciplines, distances and skills. You can bet on outright individual performances, how the podium will shape up and outright markets, such as which country will win the most medals. Irrespective of what market you select, taking the time to understand how the online sports betting market works will provide you with a solid foundation so you don’t lose money by betting on markets you don’t understand.

Monitoring bets and live betting

If you’re somebody who bets on live sports anyway, you’ll have a solid base knowledge of in-play betting. In-play betting works in very much the same way as soccer, NHL and NBA in-play betting. You can also keep an eye on the bet and see if the cash-out option is something that interests you. In-play markets add another layer to betting and provide a whole new range of betting possibilities — some of which didn’t even exist until 10 years ago.

Different Types of Summer Games Bets

There are a staggering 40 different sporting markets for you to browse through if you’re looking to place a bet. The 2024 Summer Games also includes new sports, some of which were first rolled out at the Tokyo Games, such as surfing, climbing and skateboarding. Some sports will debut in Paris for their first time, such as breakdancing, which the committee has chosen in a bid to appeal to a fresh audience.

Moneyline wager

Wager on the moneyline works the same way as in any other competition and should be familiar to sports fans.

Outright bets: Predicting overall winners

An outright market in futures betting simply means choosing the athlete you think will win the gold medal within that particular field. If it’s a team game, you’ll select the country you think has the best chance of winning the most gold medals.

Medal count bets: Forecasting country performances

Countries will plan for years in advance and aim for a specific position, or higher, in the overall medal table. It’s the source of great pride for many teams, and depending on the country, these targets can vary wildly.

Traditionally, a handful of countries are often near the top of the leaderboard, such as the United States, China and Russia. However, the host nation is one medal count bet that can be interesting, as the host nations will often use the home support and electric atmosphere to outperform their previous best. A great example of this is London 2012 when Team GB finished third in the overall medal table.

Match bets: Wagering on individual matchups

Whether you’re betting on hockey, netball or basketball, sports betting markets operate in the same way as they would otherwise. So, if you’re somebody who bets on the NBA, the basketball betting markets mirror these markets closely. Likewise, if you bet on the NHL, then hockey is also similar. Again, match bets can depend on the sport you’re gambling on. As long as you understand the sport, then an outright match up bet should be one of the simplest to make.

Over/under bets: Betting on total scores or times

Total scores in betting can range from diving to the outcome of a basketball game to the correct score of a soccer match. A lot of multi-track events, such as the triathlon and decathlon, operate via a score-based system too. So, if you’re somebody who understands these sports, particularly ones that would be considered niche by online sportsbooks, then you could find value in the over/under market. It’s not just points-based games you can find markets for though. Soccer also has an expansive over/under market which you can explore.

Prop bets: Wagering on specific events or occurrences

The colossal nature of the results in hundreds of specific markets where you can place a bet. You can bet on countries having more than one medallist on the podium. You can also bet on the outcome of Summer Games, events or matches in the preliminary rounds.

You can find over/under markets for a country to win a specific number of medals. In gymnastics, you can bet on an athlete receiving above or below a certain score, and these are just a few examples. It’s the wealth and scope of choice that bring so many gamblers into the market, not to mention the immense global popularity helping to shine a light on sports that a lot of people wouldn’t otherwise watch.

Handicap bets: Levelling the playing field

If a country or athlete is an overwhelming favourite going into an event, you can explore the handicap betting market to obtain more value. America in basketball is usually a good example; given that they are so dominant and have an NBA All-Star team at their disposal, they’re often favoured to win the gold. However, if you have a handicap bet on them of +20, they need to win by a clear 20 points for your bet to be successful. In Summer Games betting markets, this covers various outcomes in dozens of other major sports, too.

Athletics: Track and field events

Some of the most iconic moments in the history have unfolded on the track. Whether it’s the blistering ferocity of the 100 or 200 metres, or the tentative but equally gripping, drawn-out long distances of the 1,500m and 10,000m, it’s not just individual events; athletic track and field events also cover relay races.

Field events include a broad selection of hurdles, javelin, high jump and triple jump. The most popular track and field betting markets are in the main races, but during the ganes, all field events see a lot more activity than they’re used to seeing in the regular calendar.

Swimming: Races and relay competitions

Swimming is one of the most popular markets due to the number of individual matches and events there are. Swimming lengths and disciplines follow a similar length format to track races, and these are all markets that you can bet on individually or combine. Traditionally, swimming competitions are dominated by countries such as Australia and the United States, so you can utilise handicapped betting markets or the outright number of gold medals for a specific country; dozens of markets are available.

Gymnastics: Artistic and rhythmic performances

As gymnastics is a points-based performance competition, some of the primary markets in this sport revolve around over/under markets. The same applies to rhythmic performances too. Artistic gymnastics generally refers to athletics using a variety of apparatus, whereas rhythmic performances generally occur on a dance mat.

Basketball: Men’s and women’s tournaments

Basketball is one of the few betting markets that is hugely popular outside of Summer Games. The top basketball betting markets during the mirror exactly what you’d find during the standard NBA or top European leagues. From outright markets, individual derivative markets such as betting on a quarter or half of the game to betting on the order of the final podium, both men's and women’s basketball betting markets have an excellent scope.

One of the main reasons they’ve been able to offer such a variety is that they have had years to perfect these markets due to the sport's popularity globally. Once the games comes along, it’s just a case of providing the same markets but for international teams.

Soccer: Men's and women's competitions

Men’s soccer has been a stalwart of the Summer Games for over 120 years. Women’s soccer debuted at the 1996 and has gone from strength to strength, with its popularity escalating rapidly over the last few years. Much like basketball, soccer benefits from being one of the most popular markets all year round. When the 2024 takes place, you’ll be able to find many of the outright, individual and in-play markets you can find all year round (if you usually bet on the Premier League, Bundesliga or La Liga).

Tennis: Singles and doubles matches

Similar to basketball and soccer, the tennis format follows a knockout competition in the same form as a Grand Slam. You can bet on outright medal winners, those who will finish on the podium or an array of individual games, sets or matches throughout the course of the tournament. This extends to doubles too, of course.

Boxing: Different weight classes

Boxing is the pinnacle of the amateur sport. It has put some of the world’s biggest names in the shop window as ones to watch out for when they turn pro. Traditionally, Cubans, Eastern Europeans and Americans have dominated the medals for decades . However, more recently, other countries have performed much better than usual. There are eight weight classes for male boxing and five for females.

Past gold medal winners include Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis and Joe Frazier. You can bet on the method of victory in boxing, individual matches or like any other sport, you can find the outright markets where you can predict how the podium will look once the tournament concludes.

Cycling: Road, track and BMX events

With a multitude of short, medium and long-distance disciplines to choose from, cycling has a wide variety of bets available for those looking to place a wager on the betting market. BMX events have only appeared in the last couple of Summer Games, but they have helped to bridge the gap between traditional athletics and to appeal to a new crowd of skilled athletes. BMX competitions are graded like rhythmic gymnastics events, so you can bet on the under/over points market as well as who you think will have the gold medal draped around their neck once the competition is finalised.

Volleyball: Indoor and beach matches

Similar to boxing, indoor and beach volleyball are considered the sport's zenith. Both indoor and beach volleyball generate colossal viewing figures. It is one of the many sports that benefits immensely from the global reach and the fever that grabs tens of millions of people when the tournament comes around once every four years. With individual points, games and matches to choose from, and of course, plenty of outright markets, you’ll see just how much scope is available in betting.

Diving: Springboard and platform dives

Platform diving has a long and decorated past. Some of the biggest landmark moments have occurred on the diving boards at Summer Games all over the world throughout the last two centuries. Following a similar point-based system as many other Summer Games in the world’s most famous athletic competition, diving consists of several rounds before the medal match-off. Outright markets are one of the most popular in springboard and platform dive betting.

Summer Games 2024: Key facts

Dates and duration of the Summer Games 2024

The 2024 Summer Games will take place over three and a half weeks between the 26th July and 11th August.

Participating countries and athletes

There are over 190 different countries that will send athletes to France for the Summer Games this year. While some may only send one or two athletes, countries such as the United States and China will have dozens of athletes all vying to finish at the podium in their respective fields.

Sports and events included in the program

Overall, there are 32 sports events in the 2024 Summer Games. Some of these sports have games that branch off them. Swimming has a variety of lengths, as does track and field and tennis has doubles. It’s a packed schedule that lasts for nearly a month, with betting markets available every single day to explore.

Notable changes and additions to the 2024 Summer Games

Male acrobatic artistic swimming and breakdancing are the latest sports to be added to the Summer Games for this year. However, the structure of the games remains largely the same. As consumer behaviour changes, there’ll be an added emphasis on using social media and streaming sites to broadcast the games.

Venues and Infrastructure

Overview of the main venues in Summer Games

Sports will be taking place in multiple areas, such as Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon and St. Étienne, among others. With a budget of over €4.3bn, no stone has been left unturned to ensure that the first European games since 2012 are a success.

Stadiums, arenas and other sports facilities

Many of France’s finest football stadiums will be utilised. The Stade De France will be the epicentre of the games and it will host most tournaments, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Many purpose-built arenas inside Paris and other French cities have been erected in time for the games, with many French people hoping it unites the country and promotes unity as London 2012 did in Great Britain.

Summer Games FAQ’s

This depends on the country. However, the marquis events, such as the 100m final and sports such as basketball, tennis and soccer tend to be the most popular. They already attract millions of people, but see considerable wagers during the Summer games.

What are the common types of bets?

Common bets revolve around the medals. This includes futures bets on which athlete will finish at the top of the podium and which country will finish high on the medal table. Sports bettors can also place other bets for each sport (such as moneyline, spread, over/under bets etc.)

Which country will host the 2028 games?

The United States will host the games in 2028 in Los Angeles.

What sports were removed from the 2024 Summer Games?

Baseball and softball were team sports removed from the 2024 program after careful deliberation.

How many sports are included in the Summer Games?

In 2024, there will be 32 different sports and disciplines included in the Summer Games.

Who are some of the notable athletes participating?

Defending champion, American gymnast Simone Biles is one of the most notable and well-known names in athletics. Some of the world’s biggest names in tennis, such as Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff, will likely feature too. Some of the biggest names in the men and women’s soccer will also be in Summer Games, looking to add an medal to their collection.

How are host cities selected?

Usually, over a decade in advance, a committee will get together and study each city's proposal in detail. The 2032 games will be in Brisbane, but the 2036 games are set to go to the committee, with Turkey and Indonesia as two of the countries making a bid.

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