Most people use the terms sports betting and sports investing interchangeably. They believe that both terms mean roughly the same thing. They are highly mistaken. Sports investing is as different from sports betting as trading on Wall Street is from gambling in Las Vegas. The people who understand the subtle yet noticeable differences are the ones who are able to make a profit from sporting events. The first level of difference to be discussed is the area of responsibility.
As a rule, most people bet more money than they can afford to lose, and this is especially true for sports betting. These people will bet on whichever team “feels lucky” and pray for the best. The hope is that one of those gambles will pay off and the bettor will end up fabulously wealthy in a matter of moments. Sports investing is decidedly different. For one thing, sports investing is based on statistical information, not hunches. An investor is in a business for the long haul and thus cannot afford to risk everything on something that “feels right.” Another difference is the amount of money spent on each investment. Whereas sports bettors throw as much money as possible at a target, sports investors set aside a small portion of their income and may use less than 5% of that set aside value on one investment.
With sports betting, there is no real work involved. You simply choose your NBA picks, NFL picks, MLB picks or NHL picks and let your money go. However, sports investing requires the use of sports betting systems. These systems were designed by carefully weighing information and creating a solid plan. Once created, the investor has to stick to this plan very carefully and must remove all emotions from the process. The same cannot be said for the sports bettor.
If the sports betting system is successful right away, the bettor well probably up their bets and leave themselves open for financial ruin. If the system is unsuccessful in the beginning, the bettor will either throw more money at the target in order to regain all of the funds lost and then some or move on to something else. The investor never lets greed become a factor in his/her decisions. If the sports betting system is successful, the investor will nod and continue to follow the plan. If the system fails, the investor will attempt to make back the money lost and nothing else.
