Courtsiding: Does it still work in 2026? Well, imagine attending a live sporting event, say an ATP Tour Tennis Tournament, and the bloke sitting next to you keeps fiddling with his mobile phone whenever there is a defining action in play.
For the uninitiated, this may seem like a harmful exercise; maybe the person is trying to get things done in his office while still watching the game. However, for an experienced punter, the actions of the “gentleman” may appear suspiciously like “Courtsiding”.
You may ask – “What the heck is Courtsiding anyway?” To know what it is exactly, you might want to continue reading through this post to see if courtsiding is still possible.
What is Courtsiding?
Without wasting too much of your time, to explain what Courtsiding betting is, it is important to paint a scenario for you.
So, back to the ATP Tour tennis match involving Serena Williams versus her sister Venus Williams (purely fictional). Imagine being courtside with this bloke in question and every time a point is won, say by Serena, he quickly clicks a button on his phone as if to acknowledge the point gained.
While this may seem odd to someone who is attending the live match simply to watch a game of pro tennis, to a gambler, this is a dead giveaway!
To a gambler, especially an experienced one, the person is Courtsiding.
There are many definitions of Courtsiding. However, I decided to try to make my definition as easy to understand as possible to both the gambling and non-gambling public. I call it “My Definition of Courtsiding”.
My Definition of Courtsiding
I define Courtsiding as an action taken by an individual or group, where they attend a live sporting event, particularly tennis, with the deliberate intention of placing bets on the game, but hoping to do so (i.e. place bets) while having an edge over punters that may be watching the match on TV.
You see, what many people do not realise is that the live sporting event that you watch on cable TV may have a couple of seconds of delay time. These games that are beamed to you live have to be processed before you actually receive them.
Many cameras may be involved, and each camera has to pass its feed to the studio engineers before it is then passed to millions of viewers at home. While in truth, technology has made live TV viewing an almost real-time event, there is still some seconds of delay in reality.
It is this short space of time that Courtsiders (i.e. people who engage in Courtsiding) use to gain an edge (even if it’s a small one) over punters viewing a match on TV and placing bets based on what he/she has seen on television.
Now, the reason why I started with tennis, of all sports, is simply that Courtsiding derived its name from this sport. However, Courtsiding as an art is prevalent in other sporting events, such as horse racing, golf, cricket, and football.
Courtsiding Legality
Back in the day, Courtsiding was a really big thing. You had people literally with laptops at live sporting events with courtsiding software, placing bets while a live sporting event was in progress.
This craze was really in vogue in the early years of online betting sites like Betfair, and you could earn a lot more than laying on horse racing or in Football too.
Even known Courtsiders have written best-selling books chronicling their Courtsiding exploits. One of such notorious Courtsiders is Brad Hutchins, and his book on Courtsiding titled “Game, Set and Cash” tells of how he would travel to attend live sporting events all around the world with the strict intention of placing in-play bets.
If you are thinking of following his path, well, I have bad news for you. As much as Courtsiding may seem like an exciting and rewarding thing to do, it is actually Illegal at a vast majority of live sporting events and in many countries around the world.
Australias Case
In Australia, for example, their “Integrity in Sports Act” clearly declares Courtsiding as illegal. It even goes as far as stating that Courtsiders caught in the act would stand the ominous possibility of being arrested, charged in court, prosecuted, and if found guilty, serve a lengthy jail time.
In 2014, a British man was arrested for Courtsiding at the Australian Open. The 22-year-old was charged with “engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome,” Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters.
At many live sporting events, there are people mandated to spot and apprehend Courtsiders. So, Courtsiding is an illegal act even if some countries have not formally declared it illegal.
Organisers of many of these sporting events, be it tennis, horse racing, cricket, golf, or football, all have measures in place to clamp down hard on individuals attending the events for the primary purpose of Courtsiding.
Organisers of Wimbledon, for example, deploy the services of spotters at matches, and where a person has been caught red-handed, that individual will be banned for life from attending any Wimbledon tournament.
Courtsiding: A Dying Art!
In truth, even online betting sites like Betfair have put in place measures to curb any advantage that Courtsiders think they may have. For example, Betfair and other similar betting sites have time delays, which can be quite lengthy at times, on those bets that are being made by punters. This eliminates those few seconds of advantage that Courtsiders seem to rely on.
Now, the high risk of being caught Courtsiding, banned for life from attending live sporting events, or charged with a criminal offence, has made Courtsiding less attractive to individuals. Coupled with the lengthy delays by online betting sites, as mentioned before, Courtsiding seems to be a dying art.
Having said that, it must be mentioned that there are still some die-hard individuals who are hell-bent on gaining an unfair advantage over other punters, one way or another, with Courtsiding presenting them with that opportunity to do so.
Despite the clear constraints on Courtsiding, there are still some criminal elements operating as an organised syndicate with many people involved who still favour Courtsiding as part of their strategies for gaining an in-play betting advantage in live sporting events.
Courtsiding Across Different Sports
Courtsiding is not just restricted to Tennis, the same principles are applied to other sports in unique ways.
Tennis
Tennis remains the primary sport for courtsiding due to its point-by-point scoring system and the significant delays between live action and broadcasts…
Football (Soccer)
Football courtsiding focuses primarily on goals and red cards, as these events significantly impact in-play odds…
Horse Racing
In horse racing, courtsiders may use strategic positioning or even drones to report race progress before it’s reflected in the betting markets…
Cricket
Cricket courtsiding has produced some of the biggest profits, with one reported case of a courtsider making £4,000,000 from cricket events…
Summary
The good news is, to maintain their gambling and betting license, online betting exchanges have to ensure that every single betting opportunity on their site is seen to be absolutely, 100% fair and without prejudice.
So Courtsiders looking to capitalise and leverage on being at a live sporting event as a “cheat code” to get one over other gamblers would now have to think thrice about their activities and should consider a more legal approach in the form of tennis tipsters instead… You can get free tips daily when you join our newsletter for free, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is courtsiding illegal in the UK?
While courtsiding itself is not illegal in the UK, venues can eject you for violating their terms of entry. Unlike Australia, there are no specific laws criminalising the practice in the United Kingdom.
What is the exact meaning of courtsiding?
Courtsiding refers to the practice of transmitting information from sporting events in real-time to exploit the delay in broadcast feeds or betting markets. This creates a betting advantage as the courtsider knows what has happened before the markets can react.
How does courtsiding differ between sports?
Courtsiding techniques vary significantly between sports. In tennis, it involves reporting point outcomes before they appear on broadcasts. In horse racing, it might involve reporting race progress from strategic viewing positions. Football (soccer) courtsiding often focuses on reporting goals or significant events before they appear on delayed feeds.