Debunking Popular Myths about Sports Betting

Sports betting is surrounded by many myths and misconceptions that prevent beginners from making informed decisions and setting realistic expectations. In this article, we will examine the 5 most common betting myths, explain where they come from and why you shouldn’t believe them. The aim is not only to dispel illusions, but also to provide a clear understanding of how the 1Win bet market works.

Myth #1: You Can Make a Steady Income from Betting If You Know a Lot about Sports

This myth is perhaps the most common. It is based on the assumption that in-depth knowledge of a particular sport automatically makes a person a successful bettor.

Knowing sports is important, but it is far from the only component of betting quality. To beat the bookmaker in the long run, you need to have skills in mathematical analysis, bankroll management, probability assessment and working with odds. Sports betting is primarily about probability, not certainty.

For example, even if you are sure that team A is stronger than team B, this does not mean that odds of 1.50 on team A to win are favourable. The bookmaker may have already taken this probability into account and offered lower odds. To win in the long run, you need to make value bets — bets on events that are more likely to happen than the bookmaker thinks.

Myth #2: Bookmakers Always Win, and Players Always Lose

This myth is common among sceptics and those who have lost money betting. It is based on the belief that the system is rigged against the player and that no one ever wins on a consistent basis.

Bookmakers do earn a steady income — from the margin built into the odds. This allows them to make a profit regardless of the outcome of the matches. But that doesn’t mean that all players always lose. There are so-called plus players in the betting market — bettors who consistently come out ahead in the long run thanks to a sound strategy, discipline and analysis of the lines.

Another example is professional cappers who sell predictions or work on a value betting system, scanning the lines of dozens of betting sites and tracking overpriced odds.

Yes, most players do lose — often due to impulsive betting, lack of strategy and the desire to make a quick buck. But this is not the fault of the sites, but a consequence of the mistakes made by the players themselves.

Myth #3: Predictions from Insiders Guarantee a Win

The betting industry has long been overgrown with paid predictions. Some cappers promise up to 90% accuracy, others claim to have insider information from clubs. All this creates a false impression that there is an easy way to make decisions — all you need to do is buy the ‘right’ prediction. But it is important to understand:

• No one can predict sporting events with certainty. Even professional analysts and models can only give probability estimates.
• Most cappers on the internet are scammers who make money not from betting, but from selling hope.

Even honest forecasters who publish statistics and undergo verification offer no guarantees. Their profitability is determined over time, and even a good tipster can have months of losses. Following a tipster without critically evaluating their strategy, transparency, and history is a recipe for disappointment.

Myth #4: Betting is Gambling, Luck Decides Everything

Comparing sports betting to roulette or slot machines sounds logical at first glance: you can lose money in both. That’s why many people consider betting to be purely a game of chance, where everything depends on luck.

Although luck is a factor in any sporting event, unlike gambling, sports betting allows you to influence the outcome through analysis and strategy. The difference is that in sports betting, the player decides what to bet on, when, how much and at what odds. It is no longer a game of chance, but risk management and betting experience.

In a casino, the player always has poor odds: roulette is designed so that the advantage is on the side of the establishment. In betting, however, with a competent approach and a search for value odds, it is possible to obtain a positive mathematical expectation, especially when playing with systems such as arbitrage betting.

Luck influences short-term results, but in the long run, everything is determined by strategy and discipline. Betting is more about analysis than gambling.

Myth #5: You Can Get Rich Quick with Accumulators and Large Bets

This myth is especially popular among beginners inspired by stories of ‘miracle bets’ where someone bet £50 on an accumulator with odds of 150 and won £75,000. Such stories are actively spread on social media, often with the aim of selling subscriptions to ‘guaranteed predictions’.

Accumulators with high odds are a tool designed for entertainment, not for stable earnings. The probability of an accumulator with 5–7 events winning is extremely low, and each additional bet in the accumulator increases the influence of the bookmaker’s margin.

Large bets are another path to failure for an inexperienced player. They are often driven by tilt — an emotional desire to win back losses. Without a bankroll management system (e.g., a rule of 1–5% of the bankroll per bet), the game turns into chaos, where losing just one bet can lead to the loss of the entire bankroll. It is almost impossible to get rich quickly from betting. It is a systematic activity with moderate capital growth, where discipline is more important than intuition.

Sports betting can be compared to investing in risky assets: there is a chance to make money, but you need calculation, patience and responsible betting practices. Only then can you move from the category of losing amateurs to professional bettors.