Where are the Sports Gamblers?

Have you ever heard the song “Where have all the Flowers Gone” by Pete Seeger? Well the same can be said about where have all the sports gamblers gone? I’ve been racking my brains the last 6 months on why things are quiet and I’ve come down to one simple conclusion; there are only a small percentage of people betting on sports these days! How else do you explain the lack of activity in the sports betting industry from players and sportsbooks?

In fact, here’s another telling side that sports gamblers aren’t betting, go visit every sports gambling forum on the Internet and you will notice nearly each post has nothing to do with sports betting? Seriously, go look at every major sports betting forums, I would guesstimate that 80% of them are talking and posting about everything but sports betting. You know how I can tell this industry is in dyer straights, people keep resurfacing the same old topics such as; name me your top 10 sports betting movies, how did you get your username, who’s your favorite eye candy babe, and one of my all time personal favorites that gets old guys short and curlies in a twist, “is golf really a sport?”

So, why is it nobody is betting on sports these days? Sure the new legislation in the United States last year has thrown a wrench in peoples depositing methods, but there’s always a way to get funds to your favorite sportsbook if you really wanted too. Nevertheless, I’ve got my wake up call this weekend when I was reading an article on how TV ratings are down for the NHL Hockey and NBA Basketball finals. The NHL ratings were down 22% from last year and the NBA Game #1 Finals were one of the worst in history and down 19% from last years Game #1 between the Heat and Mavericks. Therefore, if the regular Joe and Jane aren’t watching the games, it sure doesn’t give the Sportsbooks hope that gamblers are watching and betting.

Again, where have all the sports gamblers gone?

Now, I’m not a social science major or consider myself an expert in people behavior, but I’ve seen enough red flags to spot people aren’t betting on sports. One thing for sure, the two biggest factor that has changed every connected persons lifestyle is the “Internet” and “Google’. Once somebody connects to the internet and then goes to google to find something, the next thing you know they may never come back to your industry ever again. Let’s use this situation as an example: Let’s say I’m looking for “sports betting stats” and come across a link from google that says “make $200 a day using our stats research…” and it links back to some type of Amway site. Guess what, that person just found a new hobby that makes them more money then sports betting and they are gone!

Nevertheless, I’m going to stay on the “sports betting” theme here and one has to wonder why sports bettors aren’t betting. One of my main reasons is “parity”. Parity has watered down every sports league with the exception of baseball, and this has caused an “even” playing field for the leagues. Granted, from a betting perspective it has balanced out the action the sportsbooks wanted, because why else is their parity in sports? Seriously, who cares if owners can pay top dollars for the top players for their city team? Look at George Steinbrenner, he has the top players on his team each year and the Yankees fans love it.

Sports were much better in the past when Jordan, Pippen and Rodman where on the same team, weren’t they? Now, people just can’t get up to watching a 3-hour baseball game and only seeing 1 or 2 true superstars per team. Plus, watching a 1-1 tie through 8 innings is like watching paint dry at times. Therefore, if you can’t have a good product on the field and keep your end users attention, then why not capture their attention by giving them a personal stake in a game. Why else is football betting so popular? First of all, it’s played once a week and secondly, you have 15 games in the span of a weekend where the end user can monitor his pool picks, as they might have a financial gain, big or small.

Let’s face it, the sports leagues don’t have a “major” problem bringing people to the stadium itself, but they do from a television ratings point of view. I tell people all the time, we live in a “why” world and you should always get to the “root” of the problem and root it out. Therefore, ask yourself, why do people go to the baseball game for 3 hours, but can’t watch it in their lazy-boy 10 feet away from their bathroom and fridge? It’s a social thing. People want to get out of the house, drive to the park with their friends, wife and family and get some fresh air and a game. You don’t get exercise and fresh air from sitting in a lazy boy for 3 hours watching a 1-1 game. In fact, I would bet you dollars to doughnuts, most gamblers don’t even watch a full baseball or basketball game. I would guess they watch the beginning and the end and channel surf or browse the Internet between periods and quarters. Plus, let’s face it, TV is not the same as it used to be like in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, it’s all about being financially productive for the networks and selling advertising. What’s the common theme you hear from your friends when you talk about “regular” TV nowadays? It’s all reality crap and there’s nothing on anymore. I give the TV industry another 5 to 10 years and it will be all specialty television or for the “on-demand” world, people who pay for their “Sunday ticket” or “NHL Center-ice” package, mostly because they have a invested interest like betting! Nothing new, as it already exists for the “hardcore bettors”, and if you ask me, normal network television will soon be parting ways, as it’s boring as hell to watch these days.

Again, which brings me to my $64 million dollar question, “why is nobody gambling on sports these days?” Maybe they are waiting for football season or they are just broke! Or, perhaps the general public is totally confused on why they can’t gamble online, but can go to Vegas and bet thousands of dollars on the Cowboys +7.0 over the Colts. Fear is most definitely the federal governments most popular deterrent, but the U.K. parliamentarians seem to have their act together (as usual), as they will be legalizing it in their country in September. I could never understand the “moral” angle politicians use when bringing up their arguments about online gaming, because why else can a country like England who has one of the most popular moral symbols in the world, the Monarchy and they have a betting shop on each corner of the city. I could never understand that argument.

Let’s face it, in a non-regulated industry, businesses in the sports betting industry feel like they are living in the Wild, Wild West. Plus, greed and a lack of networking and communication is what are killing any opportunity for people who want to build bridges. “Evolution and Acceptance” are the one-two punch that will allow this industry to grow and until they shake hands, sports gamblers will be sitting on the sidelines waiting for the green light to cross the street. Furthermore, in order to flourish this industry, decision makers of every industry need to understand we live in a “me-world” and people will always say to themselves, “what’s in it for me” and just because our parents and grand parents use to watch sports for the entertainment purpose, our generation is all about what’s in it for me! I know it’s sad, but true.

In a nutshell, if people can put $10 bucks on a game, then they’ll have a reason to park their butts in that lazy-boy for 3 hrs and watch that 1-1 game through 8 innings.