Your first bet at Apex Bets, step by step

01The five-step walkthrough

1. 1
   Open the sportsbook. Log in and select Sports. The fixture list groups by sport and competition, with live events flagged.
2. 2
   Pick your market. Click a fixture to open its markets. Start with match result (1X2) or double chance - the simplest contracts.
3. 3
   Add the selection to your slip. Clicking a price adds it. One selection is a single; several legs become an accumulator.
4. 4
   Enter your stake. The slip shows the potential return at the combined odds. Our example: R50 on a double at combined odds 4.50 returns R225 if both legs win.
5. 5
   Confirm and verify. Place the bet, then find it in your bet history. An unsettled bet can usually be cashed out where the market allows.

02Mistakes that cost first-timers money

The classics: odds format confusion (4.50 decimal means R4.50 back per rand, stake included in the return figure); unpriced slips (a suspended market stays on the slip greyed out - it is not placed); stake typos (R500 instead of R50 - confirm the number, not the habit); and leg-count creep (every added leg multiplies the bookmaker's margin; four-leg accas are entertainment, not strategy).

03Reading your bet history

Settled, won, lost, void and cashed-out each carry distinct settlement rules - voided legs drop from accumulators at odds of 1.00, changing the return math. Check settlement against your own calculation for the first few bets; it builds the habit that catches errors early, and the screenshot habit that protects you in any dispute.

04Where the welcome bonus fits

If you are playing through the sports side of the welcome package, remember the 20x wagering at minimum odds of 3.0 per leg - your qualifying bets must clear that bar to count. Short-odds singles do not advance wagering; doubles and trebles at combined 3.0+ do. Plan the first bet with that constraint, not against it.