conducted an interview with an Irish bookie about the differences between European and US betting markets. His theories are fairly accurate, though he talks as if US bettors are still in the dark ages (see: his claim that we don't have access to as many NFL prop bets) and have no option other than to use a local named Stan. Playing online obviously isn't as convenient as it was 10 years ago, but nowadays, the old school local bookmaker has gone the way of off-screen shops and in some cases they offer more in terms of props than the big boys like Pinnacle, CRIS and 5Dimes. Not to mention any European sportsbook offering NFL prop bets is more than likely just copying them from a US source.
How does the betting experience in the US compare to that in Europe?
The online betting companies here in Europe are light years ahead of the US in terms of the product sophistication. For example, for an average NFL matchup, a US bookie might offer you only a few “markets,” or areas to bet on, such as who will win, total points, etc., but here, you'll have over 80 markets per match. If you want to bet on who will score the first touchdown… you can pretty much bet on whatever you could think of.
What’s your take on the US’ betting/gambling policy?
It seems like state-level poker and casinos will arrive before sports betting gets legalized, but the casino regulations will vary by state. As for sports betting, I don’t think the US is very close, unfortunately. I think the US government is about ten years behind where they should be.
