Sports betting has become an inevitable and integral part of the sports viewing experience.
A 2018 Supreme Court ruling paved the way for states across the country to legalize sports betting. Since then, teams, leagues and broadcasters have gone all in on this, with betting companies on board as major sponsors, gambling corners at pregame shows, and even sportsbooks inside some arenas. has been.
Business is booming for the U.S. sports betting industry last year, with a record handle of $119.84 billion in revenue of $10.92 billion.
Women are also making their way into the industry as hosts, analysts, and players. Still, many believe more can be done to make women more welcome as part of the sports betting community.
“Historically, if you look at sports betting, women have been more of an accessory than a main character,” said Val Martinez, founder of BettingLadies.
BettingLadies surveyed 144 women about their betting habits. Here, we present these findings and what some experts predict about the future of women in sports betting.
hide your betting habits
Many women who get hooked on sports betting still have a certain amount of resistance.
More than half (51%) of women surveyed by BettingLadies said they sometimes feel guilty about betting. Even more people (62%) said they sometimes hide the amount they win from sports betting.
88% said they share their big wins with their partner, but 39% have never even told their partner that they bet.
“I thought this was interesting because it clearly highlights a social problem that still sees gambling as a problematic activity rather than as a form of entertainment,” Martinez said.
How scary it is to jump into sports betting
Between props, parlays, and pushes, sports gambling has its own language.
There are already countless numbers to keep track of within a single game, so simplifying the dialect is one way experts think sports gambling can be made more accessible.
“Many women are also interested in sports betting, but feel overwhelmed by the terminology,” said ESPN betting analyst Pamela Maldanado. “Now let’s talk about guides and tutorials for beginners. Let’s simplify all of these resources.”
Knowledge of both the sports and betting industry also plays an important role. In addition to potentially losing money on a bet, the fear of being criticized for a wrong bet can also deter someone from participating in betting all together.
“Women are not going to get into sports betting right away because it’s intimidating,” said Ariel Epstein, sports betting analyst for MLB Network and NBATV. “You don’t want to make these bets and show them to, say, a guy and say, ‘Oh, that’s a stupid bet.'”
Looking to the future
BettingLadies concluded from its research that women enjoy low-risk gambling and “treat sports betting like a side hustle.”
Embracing lower-stakes sports gambling could open the industry to more female bettors.
“Some women may feel they don’t know enough or are too scared to jump right in,” Epstein said. “And as a woman, I think it’s my job to educate women that you don’t have to be a good bettor, you don’t have to be an experienced bettor, you don’t have to be doing this.”30 year. You can do this for fun. ”
Chelsa Messenger, host of Audacy’s The Daily Tip, believes more women would embrace the sport if there was a level playing field, especially in the sports gambling media.
“You don’t have to be on the field to be a good sports bettor,” Messenger said. “In fact, some of the most astute bettors I’ve come into contact with don’t even watch the games. A lot of it is about numbers and statistics, and more than anything it’s about math.
“So I feel like it kind of levels the playing field for women in that regard for us to be able to be analysts. We’re not just here to be hosts.”
