The popularity of tennis wagering is growing in the US as more states begin to legalize and regulate sports wagering
. The Commonwealth of Virginia opted to legalize sports wagering in April 2020, with the first sports bets being placed not long after in January 2021.
Online wagering is allowed in Virginia, provided it’s not on Virginia college teams or youth sports, and among the most popular sports to bet on is tennis. Although it’s not quite at the level of popularity as NFL or NBA wagering yet, odds on tennis can be found at all major Virginia sportsbooks. Tennis live wagering, in particular, is gaining popularity among both casual and serious sports gamblers.
Legal Virginia Sportsbooks
Since the state of Virginia legalized sports wagering online, loads of top sportsbooks have opened up. If you’re looking for a place to bet on tennis or any other sport, you’re going to want to find a legal sportsbook.
Ensuring that the site is legal and safe to use is important as you want to trust the sportsbook with any money you deposit. Look to make sure that any site you sign up to is licensed by the Virginia Lottery. Wagerers can check this information by going to a review site such as PlayVirginia.com.
Most sites will accept bets on tennis, but it’s always a good idea to check before you sign up. You can usually find the tennis events on the main page of any good sportsbook but if not, simply search through the available sports.
You need to be at least 21 years old to sign up and place wagers at a Virginia licensed sportsbook, and you’ll also need to be within the state borders when you bet. Sites will verify these details by requesting that you upload a copy of your ID as well as use geolocation software to prove your location.
What Tennis Events Can I Bet On?
There are a huge number of tennis matches happening every day, and games take place year-round. The sport is also played in countries all over the world, which means that almost any time you log into your sportsbook account, there will be matches available to bet on. Generally, you can choose between prematch odds or live odds, with live odds being for matches that are currently taking place. With live games, you can usually view the event to see up-to-date statistics that are updated in real-time to help you choose your bet.
The ATP World Tour is the highest level of men’s tennis, while the WTA Tour is the highest level of women’s tennis. Each tour consists of multiple events all over the world, including the four major tennis tournaments. These major tournaments are known as “Grand Slams” and include the following:
- Australian Open
- French Open
- Wimbledon
- US Open
The Grand Slam tournaments are the most popular tennis wagering events each year, although there are also plenty of other tournaments to bet on.
Tennis Wagering Markets
For tennis, the markets tend to have a few different options compared to most other sports. Popular markets include:
- Outright winner – The outright winner market is where you choose which player you think will win the tournament.
- Match winner – Match winner is like the moneyline bet where you choose which of the two players you think will win the match.
- Game/set spread – game and set spreads place a handicap on the match favorite and lets you bet whether you think that player will overcome the handicap with the number of games or sets they win during the match.
