The exhibition will pay tribute to the trailblazers and visionaries who have made significant contributions to the sports gambling industry.

The inaugural class of 2023 will be honored during a special ceremony at the BetBash professional sports betting networking conference.

CEO and Founder of Circa, Derek Stevens, conveyed his excitement about hosting the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame.

The event will induct a total of ten individuals, with five being honored posthumously and five recognized as living inductees.

Sports Gambling Hall of Fame Introduces its First Members

The first three inductees have already been announced, showcasing the remarkable accomplishments of Billy Walters, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, and Roxy Roxborough.

Billy Walters, renowned as the greatest sports bettor of all time, is respected worldwide by prominent bookmakers and is known for his philanthropic contributions to various causes.

Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, a former Las Vegas casino executive and professional sports bettor, gained fame for his blend of charisma and exceptional customer service to casino patrons, as depicted by Robert DeNiro in the film “Casino.”

Roxy Roxborough, a preeminent oddsmaker in the 1980s and 1990s, revolutionized the industry with mathematical formulas, computer models, and groundbreaking technology for updating betting odds.

Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos, the founder of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame and BetBash, expressed his admiration for Circa’s sportsbook and the upcoming Hall of Fame, saying, “Being a sports bettor, it’s such an incredible thing, and we love what Derek has done down here. We look forward to having a permanent venue to recognize these accomplishments in our industry.”

The selection committee for Circa’s Sports Gambling Hall of Fame consists of 16 members who have spent much of their lives in the sports gambling industry.

The committee has been working diligently to develop the inaugural class, requiring a 75% approval rating for an individual’s induction.

The remaining inductees will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to BetBash, building anticipation for the prestigious event. The Sports Gambling Hall of Fame website will provide updates on the new inductees as they are revealed.

BetBash 2023: A Who’s Who of Betting Stardom

BetBash, a renowned networking event for professional and amateur sports bettors, bookmakers, and industry insiders, will coincide with the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Founded three years ago by Kyrollos, BetBash has become a platform for forging connections, sharing ideas, and reconnecting with peers in the sports betting community.

The four-day event, hosted at The D and Circa, both owned by Derek Stevens, will feature a range of activities and gatherings for attendees.

These include a registration cocktail party, speed networking events, a downtown Las Vegas scavenger hunt with $20,000 in prizes, a football watch party at Circa’s Sports Book and Stadium Swim, expert panels, and the grand Hall of Fame induction ceremony, culminating in a VIP cocktail party.

In addition to hosting the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame, Circa Sports is known for its highly anticipated $1 million pro football contests, Circa Sports Millions and Circa Survivor. Details for the upcoming NFL sports betting contests are expected to be announced soon.

As August 11 draws near, the excitement surrounding the unveiling of the Sports Gambling Hall of Fame at Circa Resort & Casino continues to grow.

This momentous occasion will pay homage to the pioneers and innovators who have shaped the sports gambling industry and solidify their rightful place in history. The induction of the inaugural class of inductees will be a testament to their remarkable contributions and inspire future generations in the world of sports gambling.

World Cup outright betting is probably the most popular market, but betting on the underdogs, match goals, team performance, and individual players’ performance, like World Cup 2022 top scorer betting, might bring in the big bucks.

Let’s dive into the biggest World Cup betting markets!   

World Cup 2022 Winner Betting

While there are plenty of World Cup betting markets available, betting on the winner of the World Cup is arguably the most popular one. The first World Cup was played between 13 teams in 1930 when Uruguay hosted the tournament. The hosts also won the competition, but only seven more teams have conquered the tournament since then. 

Brazil holds the record with five titles from seven finals, followed by Germany and Italy with four titles each. Argentina, Uruguay, and France have won the title twice, while England and Spain have each lifted the trophy once. 

This time around, the tournament is played in unique conditions, as it’s the first time the World Cup is played in the middle of a desert. The conditions will not favor any team in particular, except maybe Saudi Arabia and the host Qatar. Still, with the material difference compared with the best teams, they are unlikely to put up much of a fight in terms of winning the title. 

The favorites are the defending champions France, the always-dangerous Brazil, Spain, and potentially Argentina. England, Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium might not be favorites, but if everything goes well, all of these teams could have a chance to make it to the final. 

Betting On The Dark Horses

Regardless of the market you are betting on, whether it is an individual player bet, team performance in the group stage, or the winner of the World Cup, you might want to consider betting on the underdogs. 

Betting on the so-called dark horses can often mean massive odds, though the risks are higher as well. It is highly unlikely that the tournament’s winner would be a total surprise, but in some markets, there might be some surprises ahead. 

You might find a lot of value when betting on individual matches during the group stage when betting against the favorites. For example, Iceland shocked the crowds in 2018 with a 1-1 tie against Argentina. Meanwhile, Mexico won Germany 0-1, only to have South Korea hand Germany another defeat with a 2-0 win over the clear favorites. 

One of the top World Cup betting tips we can give is this: when you have an idea about a potential upset, you might also want to check out the Asian handicap odds of World Cup 2022. Not only do you get a potentially better chance of winning with World Cup FIFA handicap betting, but you could also be looking at much higher odds. 

Match Goals

If you want to make things a bit more interesting than simply making the 1X2 bets, you should consider betting on match goals. There are often a few match goal markets available, like how many goals a specific team will score, but the most interesting market could well be the total match goals. 

You can bet on the exact number of goals or make an over/under bet, and if you want to take a bigger risk for a potentially bigger reward, you can combine the outcomes of several matches. 

In 2018, there were, on average, 2.64 goals scored per match. The goal line we’ll be looking at in most matches is likely over/under 2.5, and the later stage in the tournament, the more likely it is that fewer goals will be scored. 

If you are looking for betting advice with the World Cup in mind, you should also consider betting on both teams to score. In Russia 2018, the percentage of World Cup games where both teams scored was 50 %, meaning both teams scored in 32 of the 64 matches played. Betting statistics World Cup of last time offers is no indicator of the next tournament, but you might want to consider these stats when drawing up your World Cup football betting strategy. 

Team Bets

Betting on a team’s performance can bring excitement for the whole tournament or the group stage, depending on the bet. There are plenty of team performance markets available, and the odds can be very lucrative if you predict the overperformers correctly. 

One of the most common team bets is the stage of elimination. Pick a team and predict whether they will be kicked out of the tournament in the group stage, in the round of 16, or potentially later. Predicting an underdog to make it past the group stage can mean huge odds. 

In the group stage, you can also bet on a team’s point total. If a favorite has an easy group, such as Argentina, it might be tempting to bet on the teams getting the full nine points. Therefore, World Cup 2022 group C betting will probably be very popular, as it is Argentina’s group. 

As we are talking about sports, there are bound to be some surprises. In 2018, only Uruguay, Belgium, and Croatia won all three of their group-stage matches. One hot World Cup 2022 betting tip is trying to find the teams to surprise us all in the preliminary stages, or perhaps even later! 

Player Bets

You can make plenty of different player bets before the tournament starts. Many betting sites will keep these markets open during the tournament as well, but you should note that the odds can change dramatically during the tournament. Therefore, making the players as early as possible is highly recommended. 

With several individual awards to be handed to the best players, you can bet on the best goal scorer or best player of the tournament, the best goaltender, and the best young player. In addition to the official awards, some betting sites also offer odds for a few other player bets. 

Golden Boot – World Cup Top Scorer Betting

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the tournament, and World Cup 2022 top scorer betting will likely be one of the hottest markets. In the last World Cup, the winner was England’s Harry Kane with six goals. Kane is again one of the favorites, but he will face tough competition. 

When making your bet for the Golden Boot, one key thing to remember is that the further the team goes, the more likely the star players are to score goals. For example, the Bayern Munich star Sadio Mane would probably be a decent bet, but Senegal is not likely to go too far into the playoffs. 

There are plenty of winner candidates this time around, with 2018 winner France’s Kylian Mbappe and the recent Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema looking strong. Argentina has played well leading into the tournament and has a fairly easy group, so you should not count out Leo Messi either. 

Golden Ball 

Golden Ball is given to the best player of the tournament. The winner of the 2018 World Cup in Russia was Luka Modric, who led Croatia to the final against France. The Real Madrid midfielder surprised many by taking the trophy, so could we be in for a surprise again? 

Last time the winner could have just as well been France’s Antoine Griezmann, for example, and again it looks likely that the Golden Ball will be awarded to one of the players in the teams making it to the final. 

When making your predictions, you should pay attention to the teams that could make their way to the tournament’s last match. It is unlikely that the Golden Ball will be awarded to the same player as the Golden Boot, so look out for game-making midfielders like Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne, Brazil’s Casemiro, and France’s Kanté. 

Golden Glove 

Golden Glove is the award for the best goaltender of the tournament. The last prize was handed to Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, who made enough saves to give Belgium the bronze medal, leaving England in fourth place. 

Courtois will have the chance to repeat the feat in Qatar, but many others are just as likely to lift the trophy. If Brazil makes it to the last matches, the Golden Glove could be given to Manchester City’s Ederson or Liverpool’s Alisson, depending on who gets the most minutes. 

France’s Hugo Lloris should not be dismissed, but as the Tottenham goalie has had a so-and-so start in the Premier League this year, it could be that his countryman Mike Maignan takes his place as the number one goaltender. 

There Will Be Plenty Of World Cup Betting Options

The 2022 World Cup has had its fair share of controversies, but despite all the commotion, some things remain unchanged: the world will see the best nations go head-to-head in the biggest sporting event of the year. You can be assured that there will also be no shortage of Qatar World Cup betting tips once the tournament is on its way. 

In addition to the betting markets we’ve discussed here, many other betting chances will be available throughout the tournament – and even after the whistle has blown on the last match and the champions are crowned. The award for the tournament’s goal is given once we’ve seen all the goals, and the most entertaining teams are also selected once the tournament is finished. The betting action doesn’t stop even after all the matches have been played! 

As we are indeed talking about the biggest event in sports, we are also talking about the most popular event among punters. You are likely to find hundreds of markets for each match, both pre-match and live bets, once the action kicks off, so the question is: will the Qatar World Cup 2022 be the biggest event of the year in terms of your betting profits, too?

However, rather than looking to bet on a World Cup 2022 winner, why not focus on weak teams that are likely to struggle? There aren’t any underdog World Cup winners, with nations such as France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and Germany among the most recent champions.

Realistically, the percentage of times the World Cup favorite has won over the underdog is exceedingly high. Frankly, the gap in quality between the top and mediocre international teams is growing.

Most punters assume that there’s little value in backing against a World Cup underdog. Yet, if you know where to look, you could earn a reasonable profit. Alternatively, you can find value short odds bets and give your account balance slow but steady boosts.

Keep reading for an insight into the weakest teams at the 2022 World Cup and the most interesting betting markets. First, let’s find out more about World Cup underdogs who performed even worse than expected,

Historically Bad World Cup Underdogs

If you want to bet on the World Cup with Bitcoin and think a low-quality team might spring a surprise, the following tales of woe may cause you to pause for thought! Here are three of the worst-ever World Cup underdogs.

1. South Korea in 1954 (P2 L2 – Scored 0, Conceded 16)

Statistically, South Korea’s performance in the 1954 World Cup is the worst of all time. Oddly, it rarely gets mentioned when discussing abysmal World Cup underdog performances. The Asian team had the misfortune of being drawn into the same group as Hungary in a tournament full of goals. Indeed, the 1954 World Cup averaged 5.38 goals a game, more than double the rate of a few recent versions.

South Korea held out for 12 minutes against the magnificent Magyars before losing 9-0. Game #2 against Turkey went little better, with the underdogs 4-0 down by the 37^th minute en route to an embarrassing 7-0 defeat. Sadly, the great Hungarian side unexpectedly lost 3-2 to West Germany in the final, having given the soccer world so much to enjoy.

2. Zaire in 1974 (P3 L3 – Scored 0, Conceded 14)

Regarded by many as the worst team to ever play in the World Cup, Zaire (now DR Congo) entered the 1974 tournament with little expected of them. Unfortunately, in what remains the nation’s only ever World Cup appearance, the Leopards fared even worse than anticipated, although behind-the-scenes issues certainly contributed.

After a 2-0 loss to Scotland, where Zaire performed to a decent standard, they were humiliated 9-0 by Yugoslavia. President Mobutu told the team that they would not be allowed to return home if they conceded more than three goals to Brazil, the reigning world champions in the final group game. Zaire just about achieved this dubious goal with a 3-0 loss. Even so, Mobutu said that the team had embarrassed the continent of Africa.  

So bad were Zaire that they overshadowed the dreadful performance of Haiti, who also conceded 14 in three games, scoring twice.

3. Bolivia in 1950 (P1 L1 – Scored 0, Conceded 8)

It was tempting to include the 1982 El Salvador team, who lost 10-1 to Hungary in 1982. However, the then war-torn country showed pride to only lose 1-0 to Belgium and 2-0 to reigning champions Argentina. One could also argue for Greece’s dismal 1994 showing, where the European nation played 3, lost 3, scored none, and conceded 10. You could even look at the 2002 Saudi Arabian team that scored none and conceded 12 in three games.

Yet, Bolivia’s truly appalling showing in the 1950 World Cup deserves special attention. The tournament was affected by the withdrawals of India and France, and there wasn’t enough time for replacements. As a result, Bolivia’s 3-team group became a straight fight between them and Uruguay.

Bolivia’s resistance lasted less than a quarter of an hour, and they were 6-0 down by the 54th minute. While Bolivia managed to avoid losing by double figures, the 8-0 thrashing was humiliating enough.

Who Are the Weakest Teams at the 2022 World Cup?

If you look solely at tournament betting, the biggest World Cup underdogs this year include:

• Saudi Arabia
• Costa Rica
• Iran
• Tunisia
• Australia
• Qatar
• South Korea
• Japan
• Ghana
• Cameroon

All of the above are 251.00+ to win the 2022 World Cup. However, not every team on this list is ‘weak.’ For instance, Costa Rica and Japan have the misfortune of being drawn in a group with Spain and Germany. Iran must play England and Wales, while South Korea and Ghana have to contend with Portugal and Uruguay. Perhaps one or two of these teams may suffer a heavy defeat at some point.

However, the hosts, Qatar, are among the weakest teams and, unlike their fellow underdogs, were unlikely to have qualified if they didn’t host the event. Qatar’s world ranking of 50 is puzzling, though perhaps inflated through a couple of recent friendly wins. Matches against European opposition in 2021 resulted in two 4-0 thrashings at the hands of Serbia and another 4-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland, who is bizarrely ranked 49, just one spot ahead of the World Cup hosts!

Saudi Arabia is ranked just below Qatar at #51 and recently drew with European minnow Albania. Australia is ranked 38 but faces a mammoth task against France and Denmark. Ghana is ranked 61 and will surely struggle in its group.

Knowing the weakest teams in the World Cup is one thing; creating a strategy to profit from this knowledge is quite another!

How to Win from Betting Against the World Cup Underdog

Although there are a few avenues worth exploring, we’ve decided to keep things simple and focus on three potentially lucrative markets.

Individual Matches

Analyzing possible World Cup mismatches is a great place to start. One potentially fruitful tactic is to look at weak sides with a tough final match against a strong team that may have something to play for. Of course, you won’t know if the heavy favorite needs the win until the first two sets of fixtures have been played. 

In any case, here is a list of group games where the World Cup underdog could be on the wrong end of a heavy defeat:

• Netherlands vs. Qatar
• Senegal vs. Qatar
• Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
• France vs. Australia
• Belgium vs. Canada
• Brazil vs. Cameroon
• Portugal vs. Ghana

Group Betting

Another option is to bet on the weak team, either failing to qualify for the round of 16 or to finish bottom of the group. You may find that the odds of teams such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Costa Rica not qualifying are a bit on the short side. Therefore, it is perhaps worth looking for the team most likely to finish last in its group.

Saudi Arabia is a prime example. Its first game is against a strongly fancied Argentina side, with Lionel Messi beginning to show signs of his old self. There’s every chance the South American giants could hit a big score.  

With shattered confidence, the World Cup underdog will face Poland and another likely defeat. Then it becomes a question of trying to get a result against a Mexican side that could still be fighting for qualification.

Specials

When all else fails, look for special markets offered by bookmakers. It is common for sites to provide markets on specific teams, particularly the hosts. There will undoubtedly be markets relating to the hosts’ performance, Qatar. With Senegal and Netherlands to contend with, the hosts’ fate will likely be known after its first game with Ecuador.

Indeed, you might find that betting on the South American team to win the first game might prove a value bet. Should Ecuador defeat Qatar, it seems almost certain that the hosts will finish bottom of the group.

Presently, the odds of Qatar finishing last in Group A are short. However, you could find interesting special markets with bets at tempting odds. For instance, look for a bookmaker with a market on the hosts getting 0 points. Alternatively, there could be an over/under market on the number of goals Qatar concedes.

Betting On World Cup Underdogs to Go Under Could Be Profitable

When it is time to bet on the World Cup with Bitcoin, cast your glance toward the weakest teams in the tournament. Which nations are the most likely to be knocked out early and suffer heavy losses? Will one of the teams mentioned above join teams such as Bolivia in 1950, South Korea in 1954, and Zaire in 1974 in World Cup infamy?

Regardless of what you choose to wager on, make sure you shop around to get the best possible price. With so many crypto betting sites to choose from, searching for value is worth your while. 

Disclaimer: This article does NOT constitute financial advice, nor should you ‘expect’ to make money from betting. The process is known as ‘gambling’ for a good reason; there’s a strong possibility that you will lose in the long run. Only a small percentage of people make a steady, long-term profit from using betting as an investment strategy. Before you continue reading, please remember that it is possible to lose your entire bankroll, so NEVER risk more than you can afford to lose.