Labar: Sports Betting is Bringing a New Kind of Fan into the Arena

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

Imagine, you’re sitting at a sports bar with friends, either patiently waiting for your team to start the game, or maybe you’re just there for the social aspect. A mix of people, die-hards, average fans and the significant other that was dragged there and doesn’t know the difference between a baseball and a football. Somebody pipes up “Hey guys, how should we make these games interesting?” 

I would say it’s a story as old as time, but it’s more of a story that’s new with time. 

I started casually exploring the growing landscape of sports betting a few years ago. When I was hired by FTN Network to contribute to their fantasy and betting content, I really dove into the ins and outs of the industry. I’ve covered a number of sports throughout my career, but there is a unique element to betting that forces you to view the game from a different lens. Similar to fantasy, it’s like “okay I’ve always loved watching and rooting for this starting QB but now I’m going to pay more attention to his slot receiver because he can get me a ton of fantasy points.” 

Not only was I learning more about the players, leagues and teams I was covering, I found myself teaching others more about sports because of betting. Friends and family who I would consider average sports fans, or even below average sports fans, would reach out to me and ask for help making certain plays.

I remember a time where I was explaining to a friend of mine that in hockey, if a team is in the second half of a back-to-back, you usually assume there will be urgency from the opposing team to take advantage of tired legs early. So I advised them for that specific game to take advantage of the first period overs and moneylines. It was a teaching moment for somebody who had only recently learned that there were three periods in a hockey game.

We all have those friends that have started to follow players, teams or leagues because there is something they can root for. I’m in a group chat with my brother, sister and their significant others, and a lot of the conversations are now about games and betting plays. My sister, Anna, and my brother's girlfriend, Amanda, probably wouldn’t be watching certain games if Collin, my brother, and Duncan, her boyfriend, weren’t placing all the prop bets and parlays the way they do. 

Now, I’m stating the obvious here, as it’s been a pretty popular topic lately that betting has been positive for the popularity of sports and viewership. Average fans turning more into experts and the non-sports fans simply becoming…fans. So I talked to a few of my friends who are in the industry to get their perspectives on how we could look at this topic from an even deeper, more unique angle. 

Sean Little, a betting expert with MSG Networks and NBA on TNT, has been involved with betting for a long time. He said that “it’s this new generation of new age betting that is something so new to everyone, even me, because there are so many angles you can attack. Back in the day the only markets you could get were totals and a side. Now there’s all of these player props and markets for game props, winning margins etc that open this new world.”

Little mentioned that he’s always been a disciplined bettor versus just placing bets to “pass the time” during a game that’s not of interest. But he said now with all of the additional markets, he’s more tempted to stray away and bet on and root for other teams and players. 

Ariel Epstein (aka Prop Queen), who is Senior Betting Analyst at MLB Network and Fanatics among other roles, shared with me that during COVID, she placed a bet for the first round leader during a golf tournament. She said, “I had never watched golf, nonetheless on a Thursday, and to this day that was one of my biggest payouts ever. So now…I follow golf on Thursdays because it’s always a fun play.”

It’s not just golf for Epstein, she mentioned NASCAR is another sport where she’s seen popularity rise. “The thing about betting NASCAR is you can actually place bets for a driver to finish in the Top 10 or 20 rather than one to win outright, so then you’re following the event throughout its entirety rather than throwing in the towel when you know your driver isn’t a frontrunner.” 

Mike Randle with FTN Network has been around college basketball betting for quite some time. We got on the topic of women’s sports. There was so much buzz around the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament for a number of reasons, but the betting angles definitely add an element – especially in regard to player props. The popularity in the Women’s Tournament has bled into the start of the WNBA season.

“Everyone knows and follows Caitlin Clark, it’s so easy for the average fan to look at the line on Clark’s points and play the over in her first WNBA game,” Randle said. “From my personal and professional experience, the play prop bets become not only important for getting a read on a certain player, but you gain a sense of attachment to them.”

Chris Meaney, also with FTN Network, echoed a similar sentiment, telling me he’s become a fan of the Florida Panthers because over the last few years they’ve been fun organically to watch as he’s found himself placing consistent bets on their dynamic players who put up a ton of offense. 

All of this to say, the rise of this new world of sports betting gets its fair share of backlash, and I understand why. There are still a lot of questions in regard to the safety and the integrity of it all. But ultimately what I’ve seen has been positive in terms of growing engagement, fandom and viewership in sports, especially sports and players who may not have garnered natural interest in the past.

As somebody who has made a career out of highlighting the underdogs, sharing human-interest stories and getting to know new players and teams, I love how betting is bringing us together in an exciting way to discuss and learn more about sports. 

Writer’s note: I was supposed to write 400-500 words, but here we are. I could go on about this topic and I’m grateful to everyone that contributed. I am excited that this is the first of many columns I’ll be contributing to Sportmoney. Yes, this is a betting-based article, but I have free rein here to discuss anything and everything in sports we want on a weekly basis. My direct messages are always open for any topics of interest, players or stories you want me to dive deeper into. If you made it this far, thank you, and we will talk about something new next week.

Published May 16, 2024