Can You Bet On Olympics

Did you know that there are 33 sports scheduled for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo? Betting experts are well-aware that this means that there will be many great betting opportunities for both new and experienced punters.

'You'd have people coming over from the U.K., where it was legal to bet on the Olympics, and wondering why they couldn't place a bet here,' Quinton Singleton, vice president and deputy general. And because you can bet on virtually all things pertaining to the Olympics, including whether one of the Spice Girls will have a wardrobe malfunction in the closing ceremonies. Even though the Olympics is once every two years (Summer Olympics & Winter Olympics). There is a lot to catch up on if you are going to have a little action on the games. Our Olympics betting guide will help you prepare now so you will be ready to bet on the Olympics. Why bet on the Olympics? The 2016 Olympics in Rio consisted of the following sports: As the Olympics draw nearer, online bookmakers will begin publishing the lines and accepting wagers on the various events. Some betting sites create a new category called “Olympics” and lump all different bets inside that area.

Even though the number of sports present at the Olympic Games is growing, the fact is that not all of them are equally popular and interesting. Some of them are watched by millions of people while others are limited only to hardcore fans focused on those sports.

When it comes to betting, people are usually focused on the biggest and best Olympic sports which makes sense because you will find tons of information that will help you make the right decision. In this guide that we have prepared for you, there’s a list of 10 biggest and best Olympic sports to bet on and more.

• Get basic information about the best and biggest Olympic sports
• Find out more about the most lucrative betting options
• Get familiar with the best betting strategies

Over half of the world’s population has watched at least one event during the last Olympic Games. These events can be very exciting, but to make them even more interesting while you are watching, you can spice up things by betting on them. With our list, you will learn how to do this in the best way.

1. Football

Included: 1900

Teams: 16

Most medals won: Hungary/the Soviet Union

Current winners: Brazil

Best betting options: outright winner, over/under goals

Football is among the most popular Olympic sports out there. Even though it was not present at the first Olympics in Paris back in 1896, it was part of every other Olympics after that (except 1932). It’s worth mentioning that the Olympic teams are not the same as the national football teams. Namely, every team is allowed to include up to three players that are older than 23 years. The rest of the team is filled with younger players. But, in most cases, even these young players are professional and experienced footballers.

Since football is such a popular Olympic sport, it makes sense that bookies are quite inventive when it comes to the types of bets that are present in their offer. Betting on the outright winner is by far the most popular option. However, if you want to play safer, you might want to predict the over/under goals outcome of popular matches. To get better results, you will have to track teams’ performances and how they played in the qualifications. Remember that betting on individual players (top scorer for example) is another good option.

• The most popular Olympic sport according to many surveys
• National teams consist of young players
• A wide array of betting opportunities offered by almost all bookmakers

2. Basketball

Included: 1936

Teams: 12

Most medals won: United States

Current winners: United States

Best betting options: outright winner, group stage winners

When it comes to Olympic sports, it would be a mistake not to mention basketball as one of the best and biggest sports presented at the Olympics. As a matter of fact, the popularity of this competition is similar to the popularity of the FIBA World Cup. We can’t say that for the FIFA World Cup and the Football tournament at the Olympics. In any case, the latest format that will be used at these games will include 12 teams which is more than enough for betting fans.

Even though it’s hard to predict the scores at a tournament like this, you should keep in mind that the United States is by far the superior team at it. They’ve won the last three tournaments and had great success in the history of the Olympics. Betting on the outright winner and placing bets on handicap offers looks like a good idea when the US national team is playing. If you are interested in other teams, you might want to try guessing the winner of each group.

• A popular sport that was introduced to the Olympics back in 1936
• The US has by far the best record at the tournament
• Betting on group stage winners is a good option

3. Handball

Included: 1936

Teams: 12

Most medals won: South Korea/Soviet Union/Norway

Current winners: Denmark

Best betting options: handicap betting, props

Just like basketball, handball was introduced at the 1936 Olympics. However, in the next six sporting events, this sport was missing, but it became a regular sport since 1972. It’s interesting that handball is a very popular sport in some countries (Scandinavian countries, Germany, France, Eastern Europe, South Korea, North Africa, etc.), but unpopular in countries like the UK, the United States, and China for example. In any case, Germany has won the highest number of medals, but in the recent period, a few other European countries have delivered great results.

Handball might not be part of the offer of every bookmaker, but when it comes to handball as one of the Olympic sports, you will find many events to bet on. Once again, predicting the outright winner is a bet that always comes with decent odds, but if you are looking for additional handball action during the Olympics, you can try handicap betting, an option that allows you to back the favorite or the underdog. You can also use proposition bets like who will win the first half because in many cases one of the teams is a strong favorite which means that they will probably win at least the first half.

• Handball is a sport that’s quite popular in Europe and just a few other parts of the world
• It was introduced to the Olympics in 1936
• Many betting opportunities for those who want to bet on this sport

4. Volleyball

Included: 1964

Teams: 12

Most medals won: Brazil/Soviet Union/Italy

Current winners: Brazil

Best betting options: totals, match-winner

Volleyball is a sport that unites sports fans from all over the world. The competition is always fierce when national volleyball teams meet each other during the Olympics. Since 1964, this sport has been present on the list of Olympic sports. Over the years, there were a few teams that have shown that they have the potential to win the tournament every time including Brazil, Russia, the United States, and Italy. The total number of teams that participate in the Olympics is 12.

Betting on volleyball during the Olympic Games can be quite lucrative, but only if punters are ready to gather information and follow the games. If you are willing to do something like that, our advice is to consider betting on match winners before each match. Obviously, just like in the case of all other sports you can bet on the outright winner too. Another good solution is to bet on total sets. When two teams possess more or less the same qualities, then betting over 3.5 sets seems like a reasonable decision.

• Volleyball is an Olympic sport for over 50 years now
• Italy, the Soviet Union, and Brazil are the teams with most medals
• Total sets is an interesting and potentially profitable bet associated with this sport

5. Tennis

Included: 1896

Teams: 172 players in total

Most medals won: Great Britain

Current winners: Andy Murray (GB)

Best betting options: outright winner

The elegant sport known as tennis was played at the first modern Olympics in 1896. This is not a team sport, but it’s among the best Olympic sports because of the prestige that it brings among tennis players from different countries. It’s worth mentioning that there are singles and doubles for men and women and mixed doubles too. The information we have shared is focused on single men matches.

What many punters find interesting about tennis at the Olympics is that they can place bets on clear favorites. But, this betting option comes with a downside. Namely, if one of the players is considered to be much better, the odds can be very low. Of course, you can place bets on the number of sets and other things, but most of these bets are quite risky. For some experts, betting on the outright winner in all the competitions we’ve mentioned before is the best solution.

• Tennis was part of the first modern Olympics
• Singles, doubles and mixed doubles are the versions of tennis present at the Olympic games
• Great Britain is the most successful overall country when it comes to tennis

6. Golf

Included: 1900

Teams: 60 golf players

Most medals won: United States

Current winners: Justin Rose (GB)

Best betting options: outright winner, top 10

The story of golf at the Olympics is quite amusing. Golf was part of the Olympics in 1900 and 1904, but it took a break till 2016 when it was re-introduced. The current format lets 60 players compete for their countries. Some of the world’s best golfers are present at the Olympics.

There’s no doubt that betting on the tournament winner is the most common betting market. There are favorites on these tournaments and bookies usually offer good odds for them. If you are into safer bets, you might want to consider betting on the top 10 players. To be honest, it can be difficult to predict a winner among 60 players, but choosing a player (or a few players) that might reach the top 10 is easier. Do some research and look for the best odds, focus on steady players that always manage to get good scores.

• Golf has been present on three Olympics so far
• This is a very interesting individual sport
• The United States has won the highest number of medals in this sport

7. Boxing

Included: 1904

Teams: Competitors from 76 nations (8 classes)

Most medals won: United States

Current winners: Evgeny Tishchenko (Russia)

Best betting options: outright winner, match winner

What makes boxing different than most Olympic sports is that individual athletes are placed in different weight classes. There are eight weight classes at the moment and heavyweight is probably the most attractive one. Another thing that we should mention about this sport is that male boxers don’t have to wear protective headgears anymore. This is definitely something that will make this sport more interesting for the viewers.

You can make watching boxing even more exciting by placing bets. Betting on boxing is quite simple because there are a limited number of betting options. Most people stick to the outright winner bet for each category especially when they have enough information and experience to know who the favorite is. Of course, you can also place bets on match winners for every single match and there will be a lot of them on the next Olympic games.

• One of the rare Olympic sports where the participants are divided into weight classes
• Match winner and outright winner are popular bets associated with boxing
• The United States has the highest number of medals in this sport

8. Equestrian

Included: 1900

Teams: 200 competitors (3 classes)

Most medals won: Germany/United States

Current winners: –

Best betting options: outright winner, live betting

This is the only sport that involves animals present at the Olympics. That’s probably what it makes equestrian one of the best Olympic sports you can watch and bet on. This is an activity with a long history at these games – since 1900. It’s good to mention that this sport features three disciplines for the team and individual competitions – eventing, dressage, and jumping.

No matter which discipline you will choose, you can expect good betting action. Needless to say, you can always try to predict the outright winner in each discipline, but you have to be careful because favorites often fail to get the gold medal. Yet, they usually end up among the first three competitors, so if there’s a chance to place a bet on that use this opportunity. Live betting is another good option because things are becoming clearer after the performance of every competitor.

• A sport that involves people and horses
• It features three disciplines at the Olympics
• Live betting is a smart choice for equestrian punters

9. Artistic Swimming

Included: 1984

Teams: 104 competitors

Most medals won: Japan (most gold medals Russia)

Current winners: Russia

Best betting options: top three, outright winner

Also known as synchronized swimming, artistic swimming is one of the Olympic sports where you will find female participants only. They are duet and team artistic swimming events present at the Olympics although there were solo performances back in the days. Another interesting fact is that this sport first appeared at the Games in 1984.

In the past, Japan, Canada, and the United States were the three countries that have usually ended up in the first three positions. But, in the last 15 years, Russia dominates this sport. Even though betting on Russia seems like a legitimate move, we should remind you that the status of the Russian national teams in every sport is still uncertain due to doping affairs. If betting on Russia is not an option, betting on the top three teams is another good bet. Of course, if you have enough information about a potential underdog that can get one of the medals, you might want to take that bet into account too.

• This sport was known as synchronized swimming in the past
• There are only female competitors involved
• Russia is the national team that dominates this sport in the last decade

10. Table Tennis

Included: 1988

Teams: 172 competitors (both single and team events)

Most medals won: China

Current winners: China

Best betting options: outright winner

It was the Olympics in 1988 in South Korea when table tennis joined the family of Olympic sports. This interesting competition offers single and team events and it’s followed by hundreds of people around the world. It seems that Asian nations are especially interested in this sport even though some European countries have a good tradition and serious fan base too.

If you take a close look at the last few Olympic games, you will notice that China has tremendous success. The performance of Chinese table tennis players is still at the highest level which means that whoever places bets on these players or the national team, they are basically playing safe. When betting on table tennis at the Olympics, don’t forget that you need good information about players to make good bets. You should not pay too much attention to the odds either because they are not updated as fast as the odds in other sports.

• Table tennis is among the Olympic sports since 1988
• This sport is very popular in Asia
• Betting on the outright winner seems like a safe bet

See All Guides

The Olympics have remained one of the most important events on the sports calendar since the modern version of the Games were introduced in 1896. Today, many fans find themselves wondering – can you bet on the Olympics?

Every four years, the world’s most talented athletes assemble to battle for supremacy in an array of sporting events, including many that sports fans may not otherwise follow. From basketball to badminton, and soccer to skateboarding, the Olympics offer sporting events that appeal to every type of sport fan.

And while many of the events provide a change of pace from the major leagues that otherwise dominate the limelight, sports bettors can find plenty of familiar options to choose from among the Olympics betting odds.

Here’s a guide of what to expect at your sportsbook the next time the Olympic flame is lit.

Olympics Futures Odds Provide a Sneak Peak

As the start of the Olympic Games approaches, sportsbooks will publish a growing number of futures betting options that cover all aspects of the 16-day event.

Most notable among them is betting on medal count. Odds on which country will win the most gold medals at the Olympics are typically published well in advance of the start of the Games.

Can You Bet On Olympic Sports

Examples of those odds are below, and will be presented in a format that experienced sports bettors are familiar with:

Can You Bet On The Special Olympics

Country to Win Most Gold Medals at the Olympic Summer Games?

As the start of the Games approaches, futures odds like those illustrated above will be accompanied with Olympics totals wagers focused on the number of gold medals that each of the participating nations will win, as well as head-to-head wagering that enables sport bettors to pit two countries against one another directly.

Total Gold Medals USA

Most Gold Medals – France vs Italy

Can You Bet On The Olympics

With totals wagering, sports bettors can bet on whether a specific country will win OVER or UNDER the total number of gold medals indicated on the betting line. In the example above, the total on the number of gold medals to be won by the USA is set at 39.5, with American-style odds attached to both the OVER and UNDER. These odds determine the size of the payout on a winning bet.

Can You Bet On Olympics In Vegas

The example of a head-to-head bet illustrated above pits France versus Italy, with the winner determined by which country wins more gold medals, and the payout determined by the odds listed on the betting line.

Olympic Sports May Be Unfamiliar, Betting Lines Are Not

Things get a little more interesting when wagering on specific events. For widely popular team sports such as basketball and soccer, sports bettors can expect to see betting lines following the same familiar format as used in major leagues like the NBA and Premier League.

Similar wagering options will be available, including point spreads, moneyline wagering, totals betting, and three-way betting. Futures betting is also available, wagering open on which nation will win the Olympic tournament in each sport, as well as on how group stage standings will wind up, where applicable.

Individual sports are often ideal betting opportunities even for sports bettors not familiar with the sport in question. Wagering is available on each individual event, as well as futures betting on which individual athlete will come away with the gold.

This provides a wide range of options for sports that have many events. For example, Athletics includes 46 individual events, such as the 100 meter dash and the Javelin throw, and two combined events, namely the men’s decathalon and women’s hepathalon.

Futures wagering is available for betting on the winner of each individual event, and each combined event. Sports bettors can also get in on betting on the preliminary rounds, as the athletes compete for a coveted spot in the final of their particular event.

Live Betting and Props

In addition to futures and specials betting, and wagering on the outcome of specific events, live betting can add an additional level of excitement to the Olympic betting experience. Once again, for widely popular team sports like basketball and soccer, the live betting options will be familiar to fans of leagues like the NBA and European domestic leagues, with dynamically updated moneylines and point spreads, totals, and goal scoring props.

Sports bettors can also expect to cash in on an array of prop bets that cover all aspects of the Olympics, both on the field and away from the competition. Expect odds to be published on the performances of individual athletes. Examples including betting on the top goalscorer in soccer, whether any golfer will hit a hole-in-one, or the number of events won by an individual swimmer or track-and-field star.

Props bets also cover activities away from the playing surface, such as whether a medal-winning athlete will make a gesture in protest from atop the podium, whether the Olympic flame gets extinguished prematurely over the course of the Games, and who will be the flag bearers for specific countries at the opening and closing ceremonies.

Preparation Is Key to Success

Many fans and sports bettors will be cheering for their home nation the next time the Olympics roll around. But while national pride stimulates interest in the Games, it is effective preparation that will make the difference for sports bettors looking to cash in with winning bets.

Looking beyond the national flag, and doing preliminary research on Olympic sports and individual athletes before laying that first wager will better position you to enjoy both the Olympic experience, as well as some lucrative payouts at the sportsbooks.

The articles found in our Sports Betting 101 series are an excellent place to learn the basics. If you’re looking for more advanced strategies, check out these strategy articles before jumping into the action.