A Full Guide to Amateur & Non-Professional Sports Betting

It’s fair to say that when it comes to sports betting the main area of focus is the elite level. Millions more punters are knowledgeable and have more interest in the likes of the Premier League than they do the Northern Premier League, and what’s more it’s way more accessible too.

However, betting on amateur sport is entirely possible and shouldn’t be ruled out with some great value bets to be had.

If that sounds good, and you’d like further information on betting on amateur or non-professional sports, then check out this handy guide to get you started…

What’s the Difference Between Amateur & Non-Professional Sports Betting and Pro Sports Betting?

When it comes to the betting itself, there is no real difference between betting on golf and other elite professional sports compared with amateur sport. The markets are the same, they mean the same, and the way you bet on them are the same.

The only difference is the athletes themselves, and the quality of them. Amateur and non-professional sports are essentially ones in which it isn’t the athletes day job, and it’s more common than you would think.

For example, many track and field events will involve non-professional athletes, while in football in England, leagues below the National League will generally be made up of semi-professional football clubs.

When it comes to these sports, while the markets are the same, you will find less available markets. If you were to bet on a Northern Premier League game, which is step seven in the English Football League system, between Stalybridge Celtic and Matlock Town you wouldn’t find things such as goalscorer markets or number of cards and corners like you would in top flight football betting.

Which Bookmakers Offer Amateur & Non-Professional Sports Betting?

All major online bookmakers, which are reviewed here, will offer markets on some amateur and non-professional sports, most commonly football. In theory, the Olympics is an amateur competition as entrants are not paid to train or compete. However, the lines are very much blurred these days with athletes earning sponsorship deals, and in some cases huge sums from them, to compete.

The likes of Betfair, William Hill, Coral and 888sport all have a large range of amateur sports events and non-professional divisions to bet on, while you’ll find many more of our trusted bookmakers in which you can back such sports below…

Amateur Sports Betting Bookies
	Bet365	Visit Bookie
	Betfair	Visit Bookie
	SpreadEx	Visit Bookie
	888Sport	Visit Bookie
	Coral	Visit Bookie
	William Hill	Visit Bookie
	Paddy Power	Visit Bookie
	BetitOn	Visit Bookie

Which Amateur Sports Can You Not Bet On?

The term amateur sport can of course mean a plethora of things. It could be a term used to describe a Sunday league football game between the Dog and Duck and The Crown. Naturally, you won’t find that available to back on William Hill, and it certainly wouldn’t be available to live stream!

You can generally back amateur and non-professional sports down to a certain level. In football, for example, that will generally be down to around step seven or eight, while other events such as cycling or athletics they will generally be national or international events, for example the UK Track Championships, where all the athletes are not necessarily professional but still performing to a very high, if not elite, standard.