The continuous evolution of the internet and advances in website technologies have provided businesses with a more streamlined way to conduct their day-to-day business operations. More enterprises have expanded their services and moved into the digital space to increase their customer base – such businesses include bookmakers.
Sports bookmakers are the individuals or entities that facilitate sports betting – calculate and publish odds, accept bets, and payout bettors if they win. These sports betting operators have created their websites to allow people to access sports betting events, such as football betting Malaysia.
But, with the abundance of sportsbooks offering online soccer betting in Singapore and Malaysia, bettors must select the right one to ensure the best gambling experience and become profitable with their betting activities.
Essentially, they need to look at certain things on the sports betting website, such include:
- Sufficient information on the website
- Licensing
- Compliance with regulations
- Customer support
- Reviews and ratings
- Exemplary user interface
But there is another factor that sports bettors need to consider when determining which sportsbook website – the type of bookmaker. There are two main types of online bookmakers: sharp and soft, and they differ in various aspects.
Sharp bookmakers are aimed at sharp bettors. They are professional gamblers who place bets based on the value of betting odds and based on data they have gathered. In contrast, soft bookmakers aim at square bettors, who consider sports betting as a form of entertainment and place bets based on gut instinct and bias.
Another key difference between the two types of online sportsbooks is their business model. Sharp bookies model their business on low margin, which enables them to provide their customers with much higher and more accurate odds and better prices. Meanwhile, soft bookmakers model their business on higher margins, so their odds do not reflect an event’s actual probability.
Moreover, sharp and soft bookies also differ in terms of betting limits. Sharp sportsbooks allow higher betting limits, as professional bettors often bet big. On the other hand, soft bookmakers have low max betting limits to restrict gamblers who take advantage of the high margin on betting odds and bet big.
There are more differences between sharp and soft bookmakers – the two also differ in creating and adjusting betting odds and marketing efforts—thisinfographic by 88ProAsia details more about the matter.
