Pelota is a Spanish sport, (known as pilota in Catalan and Basque, or pelote in French) played with a ball using the players hand, wooden bat or a racket. Traditionally, pelota is played with two teams facing each other, separated by a line on the ground or a long net, similar to tennis. The history of pelota can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, but the European version of pelota (and arguably the one played today) derives mostly from tennis.

Today, placing a bet on a pelota game is simple, where once you would get a strange look from your local bookies for asking for the odds on the latest game you can now go on-line and look up all the latest scores, odds and place a bet in just a few clicks. Many satellite channels also show pelota games live, adding to the thrill of placing a bet. Pelota is now widely played in several countries worldwide, but you will find the most exciting games in the 'Basque Country' in Spain and France. Of course, the sport is also competitively played in many Latin American countries including Chile, Cuba, Argentina, Peru, Mexico and Uruguay. It can even be seen in parts of the US, but branded as a gaming enterprise called Jai Alai.

The first official pelota competitions were organised in the 1920s and it was even an official Olympic sport. Nowadays, the big games that are worth a bet include the World Championships of Basque Pelota (with France and Spain the safe bet in this event) as well as all the French and Spanish tournaments.