by Jeremy Martin
The holidays have always been a time of giving. And sportsbooks in Las Vegas and overseas also tend to get into the spirit during this time of year.
Their gifts to bettors are points via weak lines. And these presents are anything but intentional. The sportsbooks are in business to make money, but they are so overwhelmed in November and December with the high volume of sports and games in the rotation, that it takes a Herculean effort by their staffs just to stay one step ahead of the bettors.
Most of the energy for sportsbooks during the holiday season is directed towards NFL football, which is universally considered the big money maker for betting shops and the hardest for gamblers to win at. College football is also a big draw for bettors, and with the season winding down the sportsbooks have a pretty good handle on their numbers heading into the Bowl season.
But from that point, the waters get murky for the books.
You have the NHL and NBA seasons getting underway in October. There are so many games on the board and so many new players on the teams that the numbers tend to be weak, especially at the beginning of the season. Then college basketball starts in November and that just adds to the laundry list of games the oddsmakers must tend to each day. Plus, when you throw in sports like golf, tennis and auto racing that take place year around, the sportsbooks have their hands full.
So how can bettors take advantage of the overworked oddsmakers? The key is to create a niche and develop a strategy - and stick with it.
Sportsbook managers have told me that the NHL and college basketball are some of the hardest sports for them to make money at. Those are two good places to start. Developing a specialty is important because you can do what the sportsbooks only wish they could do. You can focus certain sports, and limit your research to a small percentage of what they have to oversee every day.
It doesn't take much time to keep track of a small group of teams in the NHL or a particular conference in college basketball. One to two hours a day of Internet research can translate into great profits at the betting window (or your online account, if you bet offshore). There is a wealth of information out there on any team on the betting board at your favorite sportsbook, and all you need to do is find that information and stay on top of it.
Many bettors who consistently make a profit wagering on sports take their niche even further. Some may limit themselves to betting just NHL or NBA totals. Savvy bettors who stay with their niche can often spot a weak line immediately. There are soft lines out there every day, and it's your job to find them. If all of the lines were solid, there wouldn't be so many individuals who make their living by betting on sports.
For most people, however, sports wagering is not a way of life, it is more of a hobby and a way to make a little extra cash. Professional sports bettors have a hard life and often the toughest part of their job is simply finding a sportsbook to place a bet with. Books have nothing to gain by taking business from people who make a living by beating them and they often limit their action or ban them altogether. Most of the pros bet the limit on every game and spend the majority of their days monitoring line movements.
But the low to mid-range bettors can make a nice profit without raising any red flags from the sportsbooks. When a shop has thousands of dollars riding on a small conference college basketball game, a nickel or dime loss isn't going to send them to the poorhouse. Flying under the radar is the best way to go when dealing with betting establishments, as any professional gambler would tell you.
The best strategy for betting, especially at this uncertain time of year for the sportsbooks, is to bet early in the morning, preferably soon after the lines come out. This is when the numbers are at their most vulnerable state. The bookmakers know that their lines aren't solid on some of the lesser-bet sports, and they also know that the majority of action is coming from knowledgeable bettors. The lines will move quickly, and - for the most part - in the wrong direction.
There are also ample opportunities to 'middle' the books during this time of year. You will find situations where you like one team in the morning because you think the oddsmakers have issued a weak number, but by the time the game goes off the number has swung several points in the other direction due to heavy action from the pros. If you bet the other side with the inflated number, you have the chance of the actual outcome of the game landing somewhere in the middle of your two bets, causing you to win both, while risking only your vigorish. Fluctuations of three or four points in the NBA or college basketball are not entirely uncommon during this time of year from the time the numbers are released until game time. This is one of the most low-risk investments in sports betting.
So take the gift that the bookmakers are offering this holiday season and win like the pros. It takes some time and effort, but so does anything else that makes you a profit.
If you live in the United States, you can legally bet on sports online.
And best of all, you can do so whether or not your state has actually legalized domestic online sports betting!
Need a book that uses Venmo, PayPal, etc Subscribe Subscribe Unsubscribe +1. Sportsbook Reviews Sports Betting News Podcasts Responsible Gaming. Experts Free Picks Our Experts. Venmo at sportsbooks is quickly becoming a preferred payment method among sports bettors when it's time to make deposits. See which sportsbooks take Venmo, here!
While there are two exceptions (the states of Connecticut and Washington have laws against all forms of online gambling, though these are historically unenforced), residents in 48 of 50 states can lawfully bet real money on sports over the Internet.
The only caveat is that if there are no local options, they must use legal online sports betting sites that operate outside of US jurisdiction and hold legitimate licenses in their own home countries.
Nevertheless, there is usually one particular roadblock that prevents many USA gamblers from signing up with these operators, and that’s the online sports betting banking methods they support.
Due to the UIGEA gambling law that disallows domestic American banks from knowingly processing payments to and from non-US-regulated gambling outlets, credit and debit card deposits are sometimes declined.
While a declined payment does not mean you’ve committed any crime or that your card has been flagged or disabled, it’s an inconvenience that no sports bettor wants to face – especially when the day’s game kicks off in a few minutes and you need your account funded ASAP.
Many bettors think that an easy way to get their bankrolls topped off in a hurry would be to use P2P money transfer services like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle Pay.
However, in part due to the UIGEA and other restrictions, these companies do not allow such international transactions.
In the case of Venmo and Zelle Pay, these service are USA-only, which means there’s no way to use either to send or receive money to or from your offshore betting site of choice.
In the case of PayPal and Cash App, the former can be used for international transfers that are not gambling related, while the latter – though available in many countries – can only be used by parties physically inside those individual countries. International Cash App transfers are not allowed.
As these services are by far the most popular vehicles for person-to-person transactions, and since tens of millions of Americans use these services every day, international betting sites open to USA gamblers are at a decided disadvantage in not being able to process such payments.
However, that is no longer a problem!
At Bovada, the most popular online betting site in the United States, there is a brand-new deposit option that allows bettors to use PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle to make rapid sportsbook deposits.
So, how is this possible, given the international limitations outlined above?
Because Bovada – as is their wont as an industry leader – now supports the new MatchPay betting deposit service, which makes it possible for US-based online gambling enthusiasts to finally deposit with the aforementioned P2P services.
What is MatchPay?
MatchPay is a third-party money transfer service that works in a unique and ingenious way.
Essentially, MatchPay allows members at online retailers and merchants to sell their account balances – in part or in full – to other members at those same Internet storefronts.
While businesses must choose to participate in MatchPay’s program, the following is how MatchPay works for those that do. And since Bovada is the first online gambling site to support the platform, we’ll use Bovada MatchPay for our example below.
How MatchPay Works
Let’s say you want to sign up at Bovada but your credit or debit card has been declined, and you don’t want to make a Bitcoin gambling deposit because you’re not into the whole cryptocurrency scene.
However, you do have a PayPal account, and you’d prefer to make a PayPal betting deposit to fund your online wagers.
Normally, you’d be out of luck. SOL, even.
But with MatchPay, you can now use PayPal to transfer money to another Bovada member who has elected to put a portion of their account balance up on the MatchPay Trader service.
Once this player receives your PayPal payment (or other supported P2P payment) – which is overseen and guaranteed by both Bovada and MatchPay – your account will then be credited with the amount you’ve sent.
However, in part due to the UIGEA and other restrictions, these companies do not allow such international transactions.
In the case of Venmo and Zelle Pay, these service are USA-only, which means there’s no way to use either to send or receive money to or from your offshore betting site of choice.
In the case of PayPal and Cash App, the former can be used for international transfers that are not gambling related, while the latter – though available in many countries – can only be used by parties physically inside those individual countries. International Cash App transfers are not allowed.
As these services are by far the most popular vehicles for person-to-person transactions, and since tens of millions of Americans use these services every day, international betting sites open to USA gamblers are at a decided disadvantage in not being able to process such payments.
However, that is no longer a problem!
At Bovada, the most popular online betting site in the United States, there is a brand-new deposit option that allows bettors to use PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle to make rapid sportsbook deposits.
So, how is this possible, given the international limitations outlined above?
Because Bovada – as is their wont as an industry leader – now supports the new MatchPay betting deposit service, which makes it possible for US-based online gambling enthusiasts to finally deposit with the aforementioned P2P services.
What is MatchPay?
MatchPay is a third-party money transfer service that works in a unique and ingenious way.
Essentially, MatchPay allows members at online retailers and merchants to sell their account balances – in part or in full – to other members at those same Internet storefronts.
While businesses must choose to participate in MatchPay’s program, the following is how MatchPay works for those that do. And since Bovada is the first online gambling site to support the platform, we’ll use Bovada MatchPay for our example below.
How MatchPay Works
Let’s say you want to sign up at Bovada but your credit or debit card has been declined, and you don’t want to make a Bitcoin gambling deposit because you’re not into the whole cryptocurrency scene.
However, you do have a PayPal account, and you’d prefer to make a PayPal betting deposit to fund your online wagers.
Normally, you’d be out of luck. SOL, even.
But with MatchPay, you can now use PayPal to transfer money to another Bovada member who has elected to put a portion of their account balance up on the MatchPay Trader service.
Once this player receives your PayPal payment (or other supported P2P payment) – which is overseen and guaranteed by both Bovada and MatchPay – your account will then be credited with the amount you’ve sent.
In short, MatchPay allows Bovada players to make easy account transfers using the world’s most popular payment platforms.
How To Deposit With MatchPay
While this is covered in detail at our MatchPay page linked above, the basics for how to deposit with MatchPay are simple to understand.
First off, of course, you will need an account at Bovada, as Bovada Sportsbook is the only legal online betting site that currently offers support for the platform.
Once you’re a member at Bovada, simply log in, go to the deposit section of your account portal, and select the MatchPay option. (Alternatively, new members can select this deposit method during the sign-up process itself.)
Can You Use Venmo For Gambling
There, you’ll be asked to enter your MatchPay Trader ID, and you’ll be able to use the site’s plug-in to sign up for MatchPay if haven’t already. The service is free, and joining takes about two minutes.
Then, simply enter the amount of money you’d like to add to your account via the MatchPay service.
Next, MatchPay automatically pairs you with a Bovada member who is also a MatchPay Trader, to whom you can send the requisite funds by using any of the following P2P services:
- PayPal
- Venmo
- Cash App
- Zelle Pay
Once your funds clear and the Bovada member receives your money, Bovada will transfer the appropriate account balance from their sportsbook account to your sportsbook account, and you’ll be ready to wager.
The entire process to deposit with MatchPay takes 10-15 minutes, and these deposits come with the standard sportsbook bonuses and membership perks you expect.
Draftkings Sportsbook Venmo
Ultimately, MatchPay is a true gamechanger in a market where those are few and far between. Kind of like Patrick Mahomes.
And though we still think that crypto deposits (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, etc.) are the way to go long-term, there are potentially millions of sports betting fans out there who will benefit from MatchPay allowing them to make PayPal sportsbook deposits, Venmo sportsbook deposits, Cash App sportsbook deposits, and Zelle sportsbook deposits.
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Further, because MatchPay opens the door to a whole new class of clientele that wasn’t able to deposit and bet before, it’s only a matter of time before the entire industry adopts MatchPay or similar services for their customers.
If you ever wanted to bet on sports with PayPal or another popular P2P instant-pay app, now you finally can!
