Is sports fans’ interest and excitement shifting towards betting instead of watching?

David Banks
Authored by David Banks
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2022 - 22:02

A few years ago gambling and betting were either prohibited in certain parts of the world, or if allowed, largely considered a manifestation of problematic and deviant behaviour. Fundamentally, in the past, gamblers and bettors used to hide their ‘habit’ because of the shame and embarrassment they felt towards their immediate family, social circles and wider community. But, today, gambling and betting not only have become widespread and popular due to their legalization in many countries and the establishment of legal online bookmakers -provided at https://allbets.tv/, but they are also becoming more and more socially acceptable. This is particularly the case for sports betting, which has been exculpated to such an extent that for many people it gets to be more interesting than the sports themselves!

Sports betting made so easy

Sports betting is now provided to us directly, with the courtesy of technology and the advent of the internet. We don’t have to go and wait outside traditional brick-and-mortar bookmakers to place our bets in order to support our team or make winnings out of our predictions. It all happens instantly, conveniently and above all privately. With just a few clicks we are able to bet on our favorite team to win, on the game totals, on the number of corners, on the first footballer to put the ball to the net, on the number of yellow cards in a football match, on the moneyline in a tennis match or on any market and event that is offered for wagering. And you can bet on it - there are literally endless options for different bets in the world of sports.

In fact, over the course of the 12 months each year, there are so many sports events taking place, so many competitions and so many games played, that it is nearly impossible for the betting world to stagnate. Added to this, esports have also been building their own share of the sports market, increasing the range of available betting choices for punters and enriching the ever expanding betting world all the while. Now, sports betting is not something to be ashamed of nor is it something to hide from others - it is a fairly legalized act (in several parts of the world) and a socially acceptable thing to do. More to it, it is also a hot topic of discussion in social media and social networking platforms! Overall sports betting is the buzzword of today!

The shifting interests of sports fans

All the popularity gained and the fuss about sports betting, has somehow created a peculiar imbalance. It seems that the whole action and interest now is on the betting options offered in a sports game and not on the game itself. It seems that sports viewership is not enough on its own, but it needs to be enhanced and enriched by sports betting to create a more wholesome experience for the sports fans.

One can easily observe that all ads and communications promotions of bookmakers and online sportsbooks, essentially illustrate how the experience, the interest and all the fun are hitting high for sports fans, when they are not simply watching a game, but have a stake on who will win, who will be the first scorer, if the penalty will be scored or not and so on. It is like having financial stakes in a match, makes it much more exciting and interesting than just watching the match. It is as if betting increases the enjoyment when viewing a game and punters get the most out of sports than spectators do.

Well, all of these certainly don’t imply that sports betting is in any way superior to sports watching or that betting is what makes sports exciting, recreational and fun, but it is an exaggeration to illustrate and highlight the pervasiveness and penetration of betting in the world of sports. It is more than obvious that betting has spiced up things in sports, but it is a fact that sports will remain on the top and will retain their leadership for as long as humanity exists! This has always been the case and will always be in the future as well. Betting is interesting, creative and enjoyable, though it is not the sole experience.