Courtsiding in Sports Betting: Is it Still Possible?

A proven tactic that many experienced bettors use to gain the much-needed edge is courtsiding betting. This is a controversial practice in live betting that exploits the time delay between sports events in real-time and updates of odds on sports betting sites. Thus, it creates opportunities for guaranteed wins. However, the rapid advances of technology in the sports betting scene have recently introduced doubts about the viability of courtsiding today. 

In this article, we will explore everything you should know about courtsiding in sports betting, from what it is to whether or not it’s still possible.

What is Courtsiding Betting?

Now, what exactly is courtsiding betting? It is a popular betting strategy that sharp bettors use to beat the odds during live sports events. In essence, the practice involves a proxy being physically present at a sporting event and providing real-time information about outcomes to a bettor to place live wagers. You can read more here about how live betting works and how to get the best live odds on your favorite games.

The concept of courtsiding is made possible because there’s usually a slight time delay between what happens during sports events and bookmakers’ ability to update and adjust their lines and odds accordingly. This provides a small window of opportunity for sharp bettors to exploit any time gap and place appropriate bets to improve their chances of winning.

For example, let’s say that a player scores a goal during a football game at exactly 10:30 10s, and a bookmaker updates their lines and odds by 10:30 18s. This scenario provides an 8-second delay that sharp courtsiders can quickly take advantage of to place a bet for a guaranteed payout. When done right, courtsiding betting can be quite lucrative for punters. 

Is Courtsiding Betting Legal?

A major question and source of controversy in sports betting today is whether courtsiding is illegal. For the most part, the practice of courtsiding is perfectly legal and will not result in an arrest or charges in most jurisdictions.

However, many within the sports and betting community heavily frown upon the act and discourage it. They view it as fraud or cheating that gives punters an unfair advantage in the betting scene. This is why securities at sports betting events have been known to eject anyone caught in the act of courtsiding. Many have even gotten extensive or lifetime bans from sports events venues.

On the side of bookmakers and betting sites, this act is also unsurprisingly not looked upon favorably. In fact, most betting sites highlight certain rules in their terms and conditions that outrightly discourage courtsiding or any act that gains punters an unfair advantage. Violating these rules can result in account suspension or ban.

Best Sports for Does Courtsiding Work?

Courtsiding betting is that it’s not limited to just a few sports. This practice applies to various sports. As long as you can watch a sport live and in person, you can apply the courtsiding strategy when placing bets on it.

Perhaps the most notable sport that offers the best courtsiding opportunities to punters is tennis. This is not surprising as the term itself was coined from the sport —essentially referring to staying at the side of the tennis court.

Besides tennis, other sports that are more popular for this betting strategy include:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball
• American football
• Horse racing
• Cricket
• Golf
• Ice Hockey, etc

Technological Advances – the Game Changer

Some years ago, the time window between when outcomes happen during sports events and bookmakers' updates was quite significant. This allows courtsiders enough time to transmit information and place bets accordingly.

However, the rapid advances in technology in recent years have changed the courtsiding landscape. Today, real-time updates on sports betting sites have become faster than ever before, reducing the time window that courtsiders can exploit.

Also, bookmakers today utilize sophisticated algorithms and monitoring systems to help them detect suspicious betting patterns that may indicate bettors engaging in courtsiding. These systems have proven effective in catching courtsiders, making it even more difficult for punters to engage in the act.

Conclusion: Is Courtsiding Still Possible in Sports Betting?

You might wonder if it's still possible to gain an advantage in sports betting through courtsiding, given the age of instant communication we live in today. After all, bookmakers should be able to receive real-time updates just as quickly as a courtsider can send them.

That’s not always the case. Even with the latest technology, there can still be a slight delay between when outcomes happen in sports events and when bookmakers receive them, not to mention updating the lines and odds. This can be even more prominent in certain sports like tennis, where umpires' involvement can slow down real-time updates. You can sometimes beat this small time window if you’re fast enough, especially if you are present at the event yourself, acting as both the courtsider and courtsiding bettor. Also, you can still find some slower live betting bookmakers getting real-time updates too late. 

However, courtsiding has become increasingly difficult to do. As mentioned, technological advances have significantly reduced the time delay that courtsiders typically exploit when betting. And as algorithms improve, the practice will only become harder. Also, due to the unfair advantages it provides, bookmakers and sports organizers are putting effort into detecting and preventing courtsiding betting.