By Dave Schwab

The world of Internet sports betting continues to evolve with the recent advances in both online technology and software applications. One of the biggest advances over the past few years has been the expansion of mobile platforms to handle incoming bets from a Smartphone or other handheld mobile device with Internet capabilities.

Making an actual phone call with today’s latest mobile handheld devices is probably way down on the list for how people are using their Smartphones these days. These mobile computers have gotten to the point where they can basically run your entire life from palm of your hand. You can control your household functions even if you are halfway around the world. You can set, change and cancel appointments for any form of service you need and you can even deposit a check by simply scanning the document to your bank.

Today’s top offshore sportsbooks operating online has also latched on to this technological boom by offering sports betting capabilities through a mobile device. Mobile betting is already big and it is only going to get bigger. Anything you can currently do from a personal computer can be duplicated from your handheld device through an enhanced mobile platform when it comes to managing your online sports betting account.

As with any technological advancement that captures the imagination of its end users, there are some upfront investments that must be made to implement these advances into an operating system. There is also a period of time required to work through the issues that inevitably come with change. The good news for today’s avid online sports bettors is that all the bugs have been worked out of the mobile betting platform and today’s online sportsbooks are more than ready to handle all of your betting action in this fashion.

Even with the overwhelming popularity of accessing your online betting account with a handheld mobile device, there are still some old school players out there that have yet to make the switch to mobile sports betting. Some of the top online sportsbooks are so eager to expand their mobile betting capabilities that they are willing to give you a free-play bet for as much as $50 when you make your first sports bet from your mobile device. These books know that once you have tapped into the ultimate convenience that mobile betting provides you will be hooked from here on in.

Some people may still look at mobile betting as the wave of the future, but if you consider yourself part of that group then you are already way behind the times. The ease of use as well as the comprehensive amount of information you can gather through a sportsbook’s website via a mobile hookup has to be seen to be believed. Anything that you could normally accomplish with your personal computer can bet replicated through the site’s mobile platform. The biggest benefit to the end user is complete freedom and flexibility when it comes to sports betting.

More importantly, mobile betting gives you real time access to the most up-to-date betting lines on the board. It has never been easier to take advantage of that half-point jump in the line right before tipoff. If you are also into live in-game wagers, then mobile betting capabilities can put you right in the thick of the action from the opening kickoff, tip, pitch or drop of the puck.

If you are not taking full advantage of your sportsbook’s online mobile betting capabilities, then do yourself a favor and check out what they have to offer when it comes to getting onboard. There is a good chance that your first mobile bet will come with a handsome bonus to boot.