Sports Betting Las Vegas Style,
Without A Dress Code

By John Hansen

They say that knowledge is power. And in the Ī90s, the wealth of information available on the Internet has the power to transform even the casual sports fan into a sports bettor, perhaps even a handicapper of Herculean proportionsat the click of a mouse. 

Once upon a time in the not-too-distant past, sports wagering enthusiasts who were connected to the World Wide Web used its resources simply to make informed and intelligent bets. From detailed analyses and trends to injury updates and game-day weather reports, the Internet has been the handicapperās best friend. But these days, surfers of the information superhighway arenāt leaving their computers after gathering the inside scoop on upcoming sporting events. Today, people are putting their money where their modem is and placing sports bets directly on the Internet.

Thereās no arguing the fact that sports wagering on the Internet is not as exciting, glamorous, or secure as betting in Las Vegas. But for online bettors, the Internetās greatest selling pointconvenienceis enough to convince them to take the plunge and conduct their sports betting business over the same phones lines they use to order a pizza on a Friday night. And, unlike online casino gaming, sports betting results are verifiable, so users can easily gauge whether they are dealing with a legitimate operation.

With over 30 web sites on the Internet accepting sports betsand that figured is expected to double within the next half yearitās high time we took a peek to see what this new frontier has to offer. We certainly didnāt hit every site, but the following were clearly the cream of the crop.