Writing a betting slip for football or any other sports can be learnt very quickly. Just follow these short steps and you're in the game: Specify the outcome you are predicting (for example, Arsenal to draw with Chelsea, or Arsenal to win 2-1 against Chelsea) Write the odds of the event. There are many different ways to bet on football, which can be quite daunting when you get started. While everyone knows what a 'single' bet is - and can probably work out what 'doubles' and 'trebles' are too - it soon gets much more complicated. Figuring out the best bets to make money will very much depend on how much risk you're happy to accept.

• How To Fill Out A Betting Slip Football Game
• How To Fill Out A Betting Slip Football

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Filling in a betting slip can be more challenging than expected, but our guide will make it a piece of cake for you. From horse racing events such as the Grand National to football matches, here’s how you can fill in a betting slip quickly and easily.

How to read a betting slip

Prominent operators such as William Hill, Ladbrokes or Bet365, will have betting slips in a very similar format. So it will be easy for you to get the hang of things. Typically, a high street betting slip will be composed of 5 main elements:

1. Name of the variable you are placing your wager on
2. Odds
3. Sum of money
4. Sporting event (this could be anything from an international football match, to the outcome of the next series of Eastenders).

Here’s a clear example of what a William Hill betting slip looks like, and how it’s been filled in for a horse racing event:

How to Fill out a Betting Slip

Since you are handed a blank betting slip with no pre-defined categories, filling it out can be a little daunting for newbies. But after you follow these this guide to filling out a betting slip, you won’t be lost in translation for long.

Bet on Football

Writing a betting slip for football or any other sports can be learnt very quickly. Just follow these short steps and you’re in the game:

1. Specify the outcome you are predicting (for example, Arsenal to draw with Chelsea, or Arsenal to win 2-1 against Chelsea)
2. Write the odds of the event, which will be shown on the screens in the shop
3. Circle the odds or draw a little C around them
4. Write the amount that you want to bet on: first on the sheet, and then again in the designated box
5. Take your slip to the till
6. The operator staff will put your slip through a machine and give you a receipt

Bet on Horse Racing

First off, it’s worth mentioning that betting in a local bookie shop is a lot easier than reading a race card on the track. After you learn a few short requirements, you can consider yourself an expert.

1. Pick up the betting slip
2. Study the series of screens in the shop, they will display the latest odds and all the available bets
3. Choose the horse with the best chances of winning, write down its name on the sheet
4. Write the odds you will buy (a novice should always choose the ones displayed on the screen)
5. Circle the odds or draw a C around them so that they cannot be tampered with
6. Date the exact time and date of the event which will be shown on the screen (e.g. Ascot, 3.34pm)
7. Write down on your betting slip the amount you want to bet and the outcome you are betting for
8. Confirm the amount again at the bottom of the page in the dedicated box
9. The operator will register the information

The great thing about betting in your local shop rather than online is that if you have any problems, the staff will be there to help you with any questions you might have.

To see the process in action, here’s a useful video of how to fill in a betting slip:

You Might Like: Our Guide to Betting on the Champions League

Choosing your Bookmaker

Option 1: Online

Top operators like William Hill, Ladbrokes or Betfair, offer complete online platforms you can bet on. Welcome bonuses and various promotions are at stake, therefore we recommend you to check out their offers before anything else.

Yes, betting online is just a different story, but if you made up your mind already, read some tips on how to navigate the online betting scene, by visiting our review of the top bookmakers. Then, explore the following bookmaker offers and enjoy the betting experience.

William Hill:

18+. Play safe. New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions applySee full T&Cs

Ladbrokes:

18+ New UK+IRE customers. Paypal and certain deposit types and bet types excluded. Min £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days on sports, stake not returned, restrictions apply. T&Cs apply

Betfair:

New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. T&Cs apply

Paddy Power:

New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any Sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify. £5 Same Game Multi free bet will be available to claim from the promotions hub after the qualifying bet has been settled & will be valid for 7 days. T&Cs apply.

Option 2: Offline

Despite the popularity of online betting, traditional betting shops haven’t gone out of fashion just yet. William Hill, for instance, has 2,300 shops scattered around the UK, so finding your local shop will take two seconds. It is your choice where you want to place your bet, but there are plenty of options for your betting experience.

Other bookmakers have also impressive location tools to help you identify every possible betting outlet in the UK. With these in-built systems, you can get precise directions to find your local betting shop.

Anyone who has ever placed a bet will have encountered a betting slip. Whether this is the old-fashioned kind of slips found in bookmakers’ shops, or the latest in e-betting slips, the betting slip is an essential part of the betting experience and the standard interface between punter and bookmaker. The concept of the betting slip is simple, but as with every other industry, there are quirks and pitfalls associated with this particular piece of virtual paperwork, and the process of using a betting slip can be confusing for newcomers.

The Evolution of the Betting Slip

In the early days of betting, there was rarely any written record of bets taken. For example, among the eighteenth-century English aristocracy who regularly used to gamble on horse racing on Newmarket Heath or cricket matches in London, the size of the bet was simply noted down by the bookmaker against a certain individual’s name. Often the bets were gentlemen’s agreements with no paper changing hands, and as for a long time a bet was not considered to be a legally binding contract, there was little point in going to the trouble of writing out betting slips.

That began to change as betting became a commercial activity. Bookmakers on course and in shops began to mass produce betting slips for their customers to use, and millions of people soon became acquainted with filling out these tiny slips of paper. Of course, when the betting industry moved online in the 1990s, sportsbooks needed a new solution, and the e-betting slip was born.

Filling out an Old School Betting Slip

Most modern punters do their betting online and will rarely need to fill out a physical betting slip. But it can still be a satisfying process to wander into a bookmaker’s shop, pick up one of the little pens and scribble out your bet on a flimsy piece of paper. And not only does this help you to connect with the traditions and history of the sport, but it can also give you another perspective on the betting process.

So how do you fill in a betting slip the old-fashioned way? Well, let’s say that you’ve done all the hard work and you’ve managed to find a great bet on a horse at a good price and you’re not sure how to fill out a horse racing betting slip. Just grab a betting slip and a pen and get to work.

Filling in a physical betting slip is about communicating your bet requirements clearly to the staff on the counter, and potentially avoiding any disagreements later on. First, you will you need to identify the event you are betting on. If this is a horse race, it will be the course and the time of the race. For a football match, it will be the two teams involved. It is important to be clear in the way you write the details, so avoid abbreviating any names wherever possible.

The next stage is to indicate the betting odds. These will be displayed somewhere in the bookmaker’s shop, and if you aren’t sure, then ask the staff on the counter. Write down the odds, making sure you write the numbers clearly, then fill in your stake in the relevant box. For accumulator bets, you will need to write out each leg of the multiple and the price for each, and for complicated multiple bets such as the Heinz or the Yankee, there are usually specialist betting slips to make these easier to write out.

Online Betting Slips: Fast and Convenient

While using an old-fashioned betting slip has its charm, there is no doubt that online betting slips offer a much faster, more convenient alternative, and with so many online sportsbooks like 888sport or Betfair these days, punters need never visit a real betting shop. Indeed, in many countries, there are no such facilities and all sports betting is done through easy-to-use e-betting slips.

How To Fill Out A Betting Slip Football Game

Filling out an E-Betting Slip

The design and precise layout of online betting slips will vary from site to site, but the basics remain the same. Online sportsbooks are keen to make the process of betting as quick and user-friendly as possible, so you will usually find very little variation in betting slip design.

Most online sportsbooks position their betting slip on the right-hand side of the site’s main page, either hidden until you need them, or open and left blank. Unlike with a physical betting slip, an e-betting slip doesn’t require you to go to the trouble of writing out your selection! Instead, all you have to do is to navigate to the market of your choice and click on the team or option that you wish to bet on.

This bet will instantly appear on the betting slip, along with the relevant price. You can then enter your stake in the relevant box. The e-betting slip will usually have other options, including a small box that you can tick to turn your single win bet into a win and place or each-way bet.

By avoiding the need to write out your selection, the e-betting slip takes much of the hassle out of the process of making your bet, and it also provides clarity over which market and selection you had in mind, which can sometimes be lacking with handwritten betting slips.

Additional Benefits of the Online Betting Slip

The e-betting slip has some other advantages over the old-fashioned betting slip. Firstly, most online betting slips will display your potential winnings once you enter your stake into the relevant box, which enables you to check that you haven’t mentally miscalculated when making your selection. Online slips will also usually make it easy to add more bets by clicking on further selections. These will appear on your betting slip, and you will have the option of combining them into a range of different types of multiples, all at the click of a mouse.

Finally, one common feature of all online betting slips is that they give you the option of checking your bet, before you confirm that you are happy with it. This is a useful feature that can help you to avoid making rash or incorrect bets, or to switch your selections if you change your mind at the last minute.

In Summary

How To Fill Out A Betting Slip Football

Betting has changed hugely over the years, and while the modern punter still needs to fill out a betting slip in order to get their bet on, the advent of the e-betting slip has made the process easier, more user-friendly and much more convenient.