The world of gambling is almost as old as the world of sporting activities itself, and both of these pastimes have been around for the majority of human history. This article explores the most ancient activities that people enjoyed watching and laying wagers on, all of which are still around today.
Punters have been Winning with Wrestling for Ages
Wrestling is widely considered to be the oldest sport in the world, and New Zealanders and punters from the rest of the globe still enjoy laying wagers as to the match outcomes in this day and age. Egypt yielded a papyrus fragment with instructions as to how to wrestle in the 1800s, and, when this fragment was dated, it was thought to be from the period of 100 and 200 A.D.
While punters are not big bettors on professional wrestling matches, since these are for the most part scripted and intended for entertainment purposes alone, Olympic wrestling does attract its fair share of wagers. The most common bet type for wrestling online is the moneyline wager.
Running and Long Jump Races
Running has been around for about as long as humans have, thanks in large to the fact that it helped us to survive when danger was imminent. The 1st-ever Olympics, held in Athens, Greece in 776 B.C. had running as the only sport. Today it features in many different events, like marathons, sprinting, long jump and hurdles, and New Zealand punters enjoy Winning and Place bets for this sporting activity.
Javelin and Discus Throwing Events
Javelin throwing is a track and field sporting events dating back to the Ancient Olympics, and is still widely enjoyed by contemporary bettors who enjoy laying wagers online. The most popular bet types for these sporting events are the Winner, which predicts who throw the javelin or discus the furthest and take first place, and the Top 3 wager, wherein punters are asked to guess which participants will end up in the top 3 positions when the competition comes to an end.
Big Betting Opportunities with Boxing
Boxing is one of the most common sports for betting and watching the world over, and its long and illustrious history proves that people have enjoyed this sport since the 2nd and 3rd millennium B.C. Fist fighting along with hand protection equipment is believed to have come into existence between 900 and 1500 B.C, and, although the Romans had a sport similar to boxing that made use of a leather thong wrapped around the contestants hands, these fights were to the death, so do not count as evidence of the sport we enjoy today.
The most popular bet when it comes to betting is the Win, but there are generally far more for punters to make their selection from. New Zealand’s bookmakers will provide access to bets that include the method of victory; the fight going the distance; round betting; grouped round betting, like 1 – 3, or 4 – 6; and knockdown specials.