The FIFA World Cup 2010 was an event that showcased three things: the prowess of South Africa to host a stellar world-class event, the preparedness and skill of the world’s football teams and of course the rise in prominence of online sports books as a major component of sports punting.  And when it comes to sportsbooks, then William Hill Sports certainly pulls no punches in providing premium service to all its punters.

What FIFA 2010 did for William Hill plc

Leading UK bookmaker William Hill has enjoyed a late surge in revenues owing to the dramatic effect of the FIFA World Cup 2010. This world-class event hosted in sunny South Africa put paid to the notion that the African continent was incapable of hosting the grandest of World Cups to date. But what I find even more impressive than that, was the impact of sports betting on William Hill’s revenues. Reports indicate that WHS enjoyed a 3% increase in net revenues. Their earnings jumped to £529.9 million for the 26-week period that ended on June 29^th 2010. That’s certainly impressive.

What makes WH’s performance even more striking is that there has generally been flat performance of sports books across the UK and continental Europe. Factors hindering the rapid growth and recovery of the gaming sector include measures to raise VAT (in the UK) by 2.5% to 20% in 2011. Plus there’s still the matter of kick starting European economies aka lending and recovery packages. This makes William Hill’s news much more exciting. Strong gains certainly bode well for a resilient gaming sector intent on providing wide-ranging coverage to sports betting enthusiasts.

Among William Hill’s many offerings are horse racing (the staple of William Hill Sports), American Football, Athletics, Australian Rules, Baseball, Cycling, Golf, Lotteries, Tennis, Motor Racing, Rugby League, UFC, Winter Sports and Volleyball. And there is live-video streaming, the best odds and 24/7 customer service to boot.

There are good time sports betting sites and then there’s Party Bets. This online sportsbook is part and parcel of the PartyGaming franchise that comprises PartyGammon, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and PartyBingo. This stellar brand brings all the power of top-tier sportsbetting to your doorstep in a matter of clicks.

Exciting promotions to boot

At PartyBets, players will be overwhelmed by generous promotional offers including this one that I found particularly enthralling: Enjoy 100% extra on your first deposit bonus of up to  €30 . This is even better than it looks because few, if any, operators are willing to go out on a limb for new punters, but Party Bets is. All it requires is opening up a new account, making a deposit and getting the party started. As wagering requirements would have it, you should turn over your bonus amount five times on odds of 2.0 or more before you receive your bonus cash – but that’s fair enough.

What sports can you expect to find at PartyBets?

You name it, it’s there and it probably includes the kitchen sink at Party Bets too. Some of the hot sports on offer include: American Football, Aussie Rules, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, MMA, Snooker and Pool, Summer Olympics, Tennis, Volleyball, Motor Sports, Ice Hockey and even Handball. What I particularly relish is the opportunity to place bets in real-time at PartyBets. This means you get to see real-life, changing odds which are particularly exciting for those last-minute punts. The live scores feature on PartyBets provides instant updates and invaluable information to bolster your competitive edge.

Before I get into the thick of it, I’d like to throw a few things out there about TitanBet. If you’re looking for a sportsbook that features variety, then this is for you. Imagine 7,500 daily bets and almost 2 dozen sporting categories to choose from. Now throw in live-play betting, stats galore and a wide range of betting lines and competitive sporting odds. Now we’re talking. This is the kingdom otherwise known as Titan Bet and it’s got plenty of juice for punters.

What’s hot on the Titan calendar?

How long’s a piece of string? The truth is that Titan is loaded with action-packed sports matches, contests and team events. There’s more going on than you can wrap your head around. Imagine the following options: motorsports, cycling, golf, ice hockey, snooker, rugby union, rugby league, cricket, boxing, baseball and football. My personal favourite is the FIBA Basketball World Championships and in this vein, TitanBet’s got it all covered.

Take a look at these stellar odds and standings:

• Greece –  2.4
• Turkey – 2.7
• Russia – 4.2
• Spain – 1.35
• Lithuania – 5
• France –  6
• Canada – 50.99

If you’re hoping for the USA as an outright winner your Titan odds are 1.36. Happy punting fellas!

So all German sports fans should pay close attention!

Firstly, placing a bet can all be in the timing especially if you are going to back the favourite team (or player). As a general rule, the earlier you place the wager, the more likely you are to have bigger winnings. The opposite of this rule applies if you are going for the underdog. In that case, place your bet as late as possible because everyone else will be picking the favourite.

The second rule applies to all forms of gambling and that is that alcohol and gambling don’t mix.  Drinking only impairs your judgment which the last thing you need when you are playing with your hard earned cash. Your wallet is likely to regret your impulsive decisions.

Finally, spend some (considerable) time researching the team or player that you are thinking about placing money on. Are they in form? What is their losing or winning streak? Are they playing home or away?

Good luck fellow bettors!

At the moment, their odds of winning the Premier League have been cut from 9/4 to 2/1 following their convincing performance against Tottenham. They came from behind to win the match.  United are up against their neighbours Manchester City next on 20 Sept who are even money to finish in the top four.

Here’s the final point in the Federer vs. Soderling match.

As for the women’s event, on the other hand, I mistakenly backed Serena Williams who is now out thanks to Kim Clijsters.  Williams was assessed a second code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct on match point.  Williams contested a foot fault that was called and approached the lineswoman shaking her racquet at her. When the tournament manager came over, an argument erupted and you can actually hear Williams saying, “I didn’t say I would kill you. Are you serious?” It had great entertainment value. The umpire then awarded a penalty point to Clijsters who then won the match.

In the other match of the day, Caroline Wozniacki beat unseeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinal that barely drew a crowd.  Wozniacki is now the first Danish woman to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament so I’m backing her when she comes up against Clijsters just on sentimental value now.

And what about the women? Now that Venus Williams has been eliminated her sister, Serena, seems to be the most likely and that’s where I’ll be putting my money. She is after all No.2 in the world at the moment.  She’s had a stella year so far and has won two out of the three Grand Slam titles that she has competed in. The US Open is one of her favourite events.  Plus I think that Flavia Pennetta’s temper is a bit too hot to get her past Williams.

Just about every online bookmaker offers some type of free bet promotion (and if not free, then at least a matching deposit bonus) with a few conditions. Either way, you get something for free from the bookie and can place a bet on both teams or players.

By taking up the free bet offer and placing a bet on both players / teams, you increase your chances of coming out ahead of the bookies (which, after all, is the name of the game, right?).

If you know how to use the free bet well, it can be something positive for your bottom line. Free bets really only have their place for those contests where there are only two possible outcomes – obviously a winner and a loser.