Sportsbook Etiquette

Educate Yourself on Sports Betting

If you know nothing about sports betting, then it’s best to educate yourself before you walk through the doors of a sportsbook. If you don’t know what a line is or spread or parlay, then find out. Go in with some preparation.

Know What You Want to Bet On

When you get to the window you should know what bets you want to make. Blankly staring at the listings while making other bettors wait for you to make up your mind is rude. You also want to be able to clearly state to the person taking the bet what you want to do. That means you want to clearly state the following:

• The number and name of the team on which you are betting.
• The amount you want to bet.
• The type of bet you’re going to make.

Tip the Bookie if you Win Big on His Advice

If you go to make a wager and the bookie gives you a tip that results in your making a big score, then you need to tip that person. If you’ve just made $500 bucks then floating $50 to the guy who helped you is just good manners.

Don’t Ask People About their Loses

People don’t want you to inquire about their mistakes. So don’t. Chances are they won’t appreciate it, and they may just find it offensive. You could find yourself in a very bad place if you start inquiring about people’s loses.

Don’t Brag About Winning

You may have won and that’s great and you can certainly celebrate but don’t rub it in. Even amongst friends. If the people around you are losing cash, your winning won’t make them feel any better unless you’re going to share it with them. Have fun but do not make others angry or uncomfortable.

Stay Sober

Wagering when you are drunk or in any way impaired is a terrible practice. It will only get you in trouble. When people are impaired their judgment goes out the window. Stay sober and keep your wits about you. Additionally, you stand the chance of raising the obnoxious quotient by 1000%.

Using these guidelines will help assure that you have a good time at a sportsbook and that you’ll be treating others in the same way that you would like to be.