How to bet: a beginner’s guide

Learning how to bet starts with an account at a licensed bookmaker, money in that account and a market you understand. After that, you pick a match, tap the price for the result you expect, enter a stake in the betslip and confirm.

Choose a licensed site and fund it

A site licensed in your country pays in your currency, takes local payment methods and answers to a regulator when a payout goes wrong. The regulators are the Gaming Commission in Ghana, the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority in Lagos, the Gambling Regulatory Authority in Kenya, the NLGRB in Uganda and the provincial boards in South Africa.

Sign up with your real name and the phone number your wallet uses, then verify your ID. A small first deposit by M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, OPay or bank transfer is enough to learn on.

The registration guide and mobile money deposit guide cover the details, and our betting sites by country pages show who holds a local licence.

Pick a market and fill in the betslip

The most common first bet is the match result, shown as 1X2: 1 is a home win, X a draw and 2 an away win. Other simple markets are double chance, both teams to score (GG or NG on many Nigerian and Ghanaian sites) and over or under 2.5 goals. These come before handicaps or player markets.

Tapping the odds next to a pick puts it in the betslip. Type your stake and the slip shows the potential return: back Harambee Stars to beat Burundi at 1.85 with KSh 200, and it shows KSh 370.

The selection, the odds and the stake deserve one last look before Place Bet, because an accepted bet stays placed. A single is one selection; an accumulator combines several and all must win, so short slips of two or three legs suit beginners. Our accumulator guide has the maths.

How bets are settled and taxed

Football bets settle on the result after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. Extra time and penalties count only in markets that say so, such as to qualify or to lift the trophy.

Local tax applies once the bookmaker settles: 5% withholding in Kenya, 15% of net winnings in Uganda, 5% of net winnings at Lagos-licensed sites, and nothing deducted in Ghana or South Africa.

Knowing how to bet also means knowing how much. Decide what you can afford to lose this month and set it as a deposit limit; licensed sites in Kenya and Uganda are required to offer them. Our bankroll management guide shows how to size each stake.