Watch any movie or television show about gambling, and at least one character will mention that he needs to talk to his bookie.

But in real life, who really uses a bookie and why?

Who Is Doing the Betting?

In the United States, the people who use bookmakers are betting on sporting competitions. In Europe and Australia, people not only bet on sporting events, but also politics and just about anything that involves a winner and a loser.

Because the betting involves sports, the overwhelming majority of gamblers interested in using a bookmaker are men. Even though plenty of women enjoy sports, betting on them is mostly a man’s activity.

The person who will bet on sports is usually someone who follows sports closely enough to be able to make fairly educated guesses at the outcome of a game. They are men of all ages: college students hoping to earn next week’s beer money (and bragging rights), and middle-aged men looking for a little excitement in their lives. They are men who can afford to put no more than a couple bucks on a game to men who make millions to professional athletes.

Why Use a Bookmaker?

The bookmaker acts as the house does in other gambling games. He is the person who controls the money, who controls the betting lines, and who essentially coordinates the sports bet.

Without a bookmaker to coordinate things, betting on sorts would be nothing more than a bunch of guys tossing a few bucks into a pile, then dividing the pot between the people who picked the winning team. With a bookie, a sports bettor can play the odds and benefit from picking a long shot to win. With a reputable bookmaker, one can feel comfortable that the system is fair.

Even though a player might use the same bookie for years, he may never know his bookie personally.

While the bookie is the guy who takes his clients’ bets, it is a person known as the beard who actually places the bets on behalf of the player. This way, the bookmakers never need to know the identity of the men and women using their service, protecting them from possible legal or ethical problems that may arise.