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In-Game Betting Explained: How to Capitalize on Live Action

By on February 18, 2025

One of the most popular new ways for people to place real money wagers on professional sporting events is to do so as the action unfolds. It’s called in-play betting or live betting (or in-game betting), and you can now find these services on almost every major online sports betting website.

If you want to know how to leverage in-play betting and use it to your advantage, you’ve come to the right place. Here is everything you need to know about placing live/in-play bets during a live sporting event instead of placing pre-match bets before the action starts.

Why is live betting so popular in 2025?

One of the main reasons live betting has become so popular is because this service gives sports bettors far more control over their bets. Watching and betting as the action unfolds allows people to place far more strategic and informed wagers.

People these days can react to what’s happening in a sporting event as they watch it and then bet in real-time rather than placing bets long before the event starts.

Many people who place pre-match bets based on the odds given to them at the time may end up losing that bet within just a few minutes or so of that event starting. In-play/live betting services allow bettors to correct that and place new wagers based on what’s actually happening.

It means you can react quicker and place sensible bets, plus you will have access to far more accurate odds, which change in real-time throughout the event. This popular online service essentially gives you more opportunities to maximise your betting experience.

For example, let’s just say that Arsenal (who are currently in second place of the English Premier League) play Ebbsfleet United (who are currently bottom of the National League). If you place a pre-match bet on Liverpool to win the match outright 4-0, 5-0 and/or 6-0, and Ebbsfleet score in the first minute, that’s your bet ruined (lost).

Thanks to in-play/live betting services, you can now correct your initial losing pre-match bet, and you could now place a 4-1, 5-1, and/or 6-1 bet, meaning although you lost your initial pre-match bet, there’s still a chance to win on your other bets. This wouldn’t be possible without in-play betting.

The important thing to remember is that although in-play betting is a great way to place more strategic bets, it still doesn’t guarantee that your bets will win.

Also, don’t forget that anything can happen in professional sports, and even the odds-on favourites don’t always win.

For example, using the same example above, Ebbsfleet United could end up winning the match 1-0, which would completely upset the odds that the bookies set. Just because everyone (including the bookies) thinks that Arsenal would win 4, 5, or 6-0 doesn’t mean this will be the outcome.

What are the main mechanics of in-play betting services?

Each time a professional sporting event gets underway, iGaming operators’ odds will adjust accordingly throughout the match to reflect what’s happening.

Some of the main variables that can affect the odds in a football match are things like how much time is left, the current score, the importance of the match, player injuries, red/yellow cards, historical results between the two teams, and the general progress of how the game is going.

The three main mechanics used in live betting services include the following:

  • Real-time data integration
  • Betting interface
  • Odds adjustment

If you decide to place live bets on any fully licensed and regulated online sports betting sites that you join, you may find that some of the betting markets throughout the event will become temporarily suspended (for up to a minute or so), which is perfectly natural due to the nature of live betting.

Final thoughts

If you decide to take advantage of live betting, you can place even more informed bets by leveraging as many other useful statistics as possible.

Try to stay on top of the latest news for the events you bet on, and keep your finger on the pulse by watching the live event and quickly reacting to what’s happening by placing a quick and easy bet from your preferred PC or mobile device.

Finally, remember to gamble responsibly and stick to betting on legally permitted iGaming sites controlled by reputable operators.