Sports betting in Kenya has established itself as a popular activity and is a big part of the sporting culture. There are multiple customers having the option of custom betting experiences and tailoring their own strategies. Knowing what betting markets are available is helpful in making an optimal decision and focusing one’s efforts on a specific goal. Get Linebet promo code as we analyze the types of sports bets in the industry and how they are captured in the betting websites in Kenya in this article.
Introduction to Sports Betting
Before analyzing the various types of bets, let us examine the general betting landscape in Kenya. In the local betting market, the number of online betting platforms is significant and highly competitive. These platforms offer their users a wide variety of tools and features that influence how differently each customer interacts with each event.
What is a Sports Bet?
Making an estimate of a sporting event’s outcome and placing a wager over it is what placing a sports bet means. Once a bettor picks an outcome of a sporting event that they are betting on, they get a reward based on the odds that the online sports betting company has determined. Sports betting odds are determined by the sports betting company based on how probable the outcome is, and how probable it is that the bettor will win the bet. Sports betting is focused on the outcome of a sporting event and can range in complexity. Many sports betting companies allow you to place multiple bets on a single event and bet on a single event for just about any outcome or occurrence. And of course, bets can be made on the outcome of one sporting event that will occur after a long time and is known to be complicated.
How Betting Works in Kenya
In Kenya, your sports betting takes place with licensed online betting businesses regulated by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). Sports betting also legally involves the activities of oy in the activities of the punter. The activities that legally involve the punter and are set up sequentially to aid the punter in legally betting on different sports. The sequence of activities begins with the punter creating an account with the betting brand, depositing funds, and then selecting a match or market and a specific wager type. Betting companies provide platforms that allow punters to send requests to place bets via SMS.
Considering the market share, betting on football, particularly in the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and local leagues, is the highest. Regardless, betting on basketball, rugby, cricket, tennis, and esports is increasing. Betting companies provide what are called fixed odds, meaning the odds are set at the time the bet is placed, and could be changed later for future bets.
Sportsbook Options and In-Play Betting
Kenyan sports betting platforms feature a plethora of available markets and wagering choices, including pre-match and in-play bets. Pre-match bets are placed on multiple games before the match commences, while real-time betting, or live betting on sports, allows participants to place bets while the game is actively being played. Other features are designed to aid betters, like live statistics, real-time odds, and live betting.
1. Moneyline Bet
Kenya is known for its basic and simple forms of betting. Moneyline betting is a favorite, and users tend to lean towards this betting form. Moneyline betting is relatively simple in concept, as it entails placing a bet that predicts the winner of a match.
How Moneyline Bets Work
The first thing that must be done when placing a match winner bet is deciding which of the teams or players competing in that event will emerge victorious. When looking at betting odds in decimal form – which is the default in Kenya – assume that one of the participants is labeled with odds at 2.00. This means that if a bet is placed at that amount and the event is won, the stake will be repaid and a profit equal to the stake will be added.
There are no other variables to consider when looking to make a match winner bet, and this is what makes placing one so easy and convenient, especially if you are new to betting. The preference for uncomplicated betting opportunities is one of the main reasons for the moneyline to be one of the most popular wagering choices.
Examples and Tips
Take the moneyline betting at a market that provides odds at 1.90 for Gor Mahia and at 3.20 for AFC Leopards as an example. When Gor Mahia competes against AFC Leopards, with a match winner bet in this market, you have to select the team that you think will be the winner at the market’s closing time. It is also possible to have a betting market that provides options for a draw.
Here are the main tips in this market.
- Verifying the team form, injuries and head-to-head record is a basic underlying fact that you should never assume as a guess.
- High odds betting is a no-go, especially if there is no reason behind that as a bet.
- Only use moneyline bets in easy to predict scenarios, especially when it’s clear that one team has the upper hand.
2. Point Spread Bet
The goal of a point spread bet is for the betting company to even out what they think is a margin of difference, if any, when considering the strengths of each team that are competing against one another. The company is essentially creating what should be an evenly challenged betting duel out of a one-sided matchup.
Understanding the Point Spread
A bet involving a point spread means that there is a point gap that must be conquered. The favorite team is required to win by that point spread in order for the bet to win. The underdog team has a range of winning outcomes. The underdog team can win. Underdog winners of the bets will win the bets; the underdog loser can also win the bet. The point spread is to equalize the point range for bet inclusion.
Point Spread vs Handicap Bets
Point spread bets and handicaps take number of points from favored teams and add to underdog teams in order to balance the competition and bet market. Even so, handicap betting, especially as the Asian handicap, removes the option of a draw by means of offering split lines, which can be either +0.5, +1.0, and -1.5. For point spread betting that is usually in American sports, the spread is +7 or -7 and is along whole numbers.
In Kenya, particularly in the Kenya sports market, handicap bets are extremely common in college football betting. Knowing that there are differences in the bets helps a better choose the format for the bet that better suits that game.
3. Over/Under Bet (Total)
Betting on total bets, also called overs and unders, focus on estimating the total score of the game, points, or goals rather than simply betting on the winning team.
How Totals Are Calculated
If a football match has a predicted total of 2.5, that means a better can pick over, meaning that 3 or more goals need to be scored, or under 2.5, which means 2 goals or less need to be scored. If the person predicts over, they will win with 3 goals. If the person predicts under, they win with 2 goals or less.
Using Totals Strategically
Although a match winner may be difficult to predict, the total may be predicted strategically. Therefore, important strengths to consider are the overall offensive and defensive tilts of the two teams, the weather and recent goal averages. If they are considered, the match total can be predicted effectively. Total’s betting is common in football and basketball, making them one of the more versatile betting options in Kenya.
4. Parlay Bet
Multiple bets are combined into one ticket with a parlay bet. If one of the bets lose, the entire slip is lost.
Combining Multiple Bets
A parlay may include 2 or more selections, and because of this, the payout is higher than simply betting on each one individually. The payout is higher because the risk is higher.
Risks and Rewards of Parlay Bets
Promising high returns, parlays capture the attention of many bettors in Kenya. However, they also pose great risk. One mistake in your selection, and you lose the whole bet. When using parlays, remember to:
- Limit the number of your selections.
- Merge your bets based on thoughtful research.
- Stay away from selections that won’t add value to the bet as they will add risk without increasing potential winnings.
5. Teaser Bet
Teaser bets can be found mostly in basketball and American football, as well as some other sports, depending on the betting websites and apps.
Adjusting the Point Spread
Teasers allow bettors to individually increase or decrease the point spread. For example, if one team is favored at -7, with a teaser you can change it up to -3 or -2. Less risk is involved with this, but it will positively impact your chances of winning. This, however, will result in a lower payout.
Difference Between Teasers and Parlays
Both can be used to make multiple selections at the same time, but all selections must be correct. With parlays, you are not allowed to change the odds. This is not the case with teasers, as you can change the point spread. This makes parlays extremely high risk for extremely high payouts, while teasers are simply lower risk for lower payouts.
6. Prop Bet (Proposition Bet)
Also known as proposition bets, prop bets revolve around certain events that can occur during the game rather than the outcome.
Common Prop Bets
Things like these are examples of novelty bets:
- Number of corner kicks.
- Will a certain player score a goal?
- Will a certain match include a penalty?
- Assists and rebounds.
Prop Bet vs Standard Bet
A standard bet is when you have to predict just the match result, total score, or spread, while a novelty bet would have you focus on individual elements of the game. Because novelty bets are more unpredictable, they’re used more by the experienced who know how deep to go in researching player performance.
7. Futures Bet
A Futures bet would be the result of a long-term event. This type would be the most ideal for someone who closely follows certain sports seasons or tournaments.
Placing Long-Term Bets
Futures could involve predicting:
- Who the league champion will be.
- Who the tournament winner will be.
- Who will win certain seasonal awards (e.g. top scorer).
This betting market is placed significantly earlier than expected, sometimes months in advance, before the result is known.
Popular Futures in Sports
In Kenya, a fan of sports would enjoy predicting the English Premier League champion, UEFA Champions League winner, and AFCON outcomes. Because these bets take time to conclude, they are particularly suited for bets with competitive odds.
8. Live / In-Play Betting
In live betting, a player is allowed to place a bet during the course of a match.
Advantages of Live Betting
The main pro of live betting is being able to react to the live events unfolding before your eyes and adjusting your strategy accordingly. With live betting, a bettor is able to see how the teams are performing before making the decision to place a bet.
Tips for Successful In-Play Bets
The best way to execute in-game betting is:
- Track the match live or utilize betting platforms that provide live updates.
- Skip the emotional betting and put your money down only when the stats justify it.
- Look for the moments when they still have a fighting chance, but the odds have started to shift in the house’s favor.
9. Round Robin Bet
A round-robin bet allows a player to construct multiple parlays from a selection pool.
How Round Robin Works
Example of Round Robin. \n If, for instance, a bettor picks three teams, a round-robin bet will automatically create three different two-leg parlays. This allows for way more ways of winning as not all the picks need to be correct to bag some returns.
Strategies for Round Robin Betting
Round robins are perfect when the picks are good, but not a slam dunk to win. These provide a great balance between risk and reward. To do it effectively, make sure to only select a handful of teams or picks to keep the cost down. Use round robins when the matches are likely to be unpredictable.
10. Single Bet
A single bet is the easiest bet type you can do, as it involves only one selection.
How Single Bets Work
When a prediction is successful, the bettor gains a profit depending on the odds. If the prediction is inaccurate, the stake gets lost. Popularity increases due to being easy to manage.
When to Use a Single Bet
Having a lot of confidence in one prediction is the ideal case for single bets. Single bets also favor beginners to the betting scene who want a simpler, less complicated process, as they won’t have to worry about coordinating multiple different conditions.
How Education Enhances Responsible Betting Culture
Differences Between Bet Types
Having the most fundamental understanding of the sports betting options is essential in ensuring they choose the best option suited to their betting strategy. This true especially when a bet is a wager that may depend on a selection to win or whether a team must win or lose based on the final score or margin of victory on the playing field. Let’s learn the differences in bet types below:
Key Factors to Consider
The key factors to consider are basically everything about the bet in accordance with the sport being bet on. This includes the sum of bets needed, the complexity of the market and whether a bet is long-term or based on in-game events, such as predicting which team will win, whether a team will win outright, the expected type of wager, or even how a team to win performs in college basketball or other sports that depend heavily on the final score and potential payout.
Risk Levels and Payouts
There’s is no doubt a fundamental difference in all types of bets and their risk and payout in relation to each other. The single and match winner bets have low risk & payouts, anything other than that would have high risk & high payouts like parlays and round robins. Bet types like prop/future have their risks and payouts tied to very specific conditions, making it more of a ‘specialized’ betting market where the bettor must consider if the team will win, how they might win the game, or how the margin of victory affects the potential payout of that type of wager.
Conclusion
Sports betting in Kenya has several types of bets and each one has varying features and risks involved. Knowing the bets available as well as the sports data helps improve decision-making, whether one likes simple plays such as singles and moneylines or complex ones such as parlays and teasers. Knowing each category and its mechanics helps in forming strategies, managing expectations, and betting responsibly.
FAQ
Which Bet Type is Best for Beginners?
Single and moneyline bets are best for beginners as they are the simplest form of bets and they only require one selection and are easier to grasp than parlays and props.
Can You Combine Different Bet Types?
Some operators combine common betting market and different types of bets in parlays or round robins. However, there are some markets where mixing is not allowed.
How Does Live Betting Differ from Standard Bets?
Standard bets are placed before the game begins while live betting takes place during the match and the odds are constantly updated.
What Are the Risks of Parlay and Round Robin Bets?
Parlays have a high-risk factor because one selection can ruin the whole bet. Round robins mitigate this risk to an extent by having multiple combinations, but they are more expensive to place.
