The Detrimental Impact of Sports Betting on Genuine Sports Coverage

[alastantiger]

^{Image: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/08/how-the-betting-industry-has-become-inextricably-linked-to-football}
I'm not opposed to sports betting, but I believe it's had a detrimental effect on sports, particularly football, which is immensely popular in my country.  It is with dismay that I have noticed that there is not a single sports show or podcast that doesn't have its listeners or viewers bombarded with gambling ads, "odds," and discussions about whether the line should be -3.5 or -2.5 by the pundits, hosts, and commentators.

What vexes me the most is that as a viewer or listener who tunes in to hear these individuals talk about the sport, the players, the clubs, and generally everything about the game, they instead spend the majority of their time diverting attention away from the sport their audiences actually care about.

Right now, I would rather read news commentary or simply lower my expectations of them. Totally insane.

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[SamReomo]

Yes, it's true that we see all those gambling ads these days and in fact you can see those on clubs and grounds where matches take place. There's nothing one can do to stop those but I don't really think that they have any adverse impact on the sports that we enjoying viewing. They're just trying to promote sports betting and I don't think anything is wrong in that approach.

In fact those are somehow helpful for the ones who are good to judge the teams and such viewers might end up making some money if they place bets in favor of a winning team. I'm very sure that sports viewers know far more about a team than other gamblers and if they use that knowledge to place some bets then they could generate some revenue from those gambling sites.

[bitbollo]

I think that it's just matter of time and strict rules will be implemented or at least there will be less interest in these kind of "promotions".

If you think betting/gambling in sports have been heavily promoted only in the last few years.
I didn't remember something similar when I was young (50 + years ago).

[danherbias07]

It will not be easy to avoid them. This is the new way of sports now, gambling is included with it.
Also, I bet those gambling companies are paying massive amounts of money just so they could be included in any discussions of the commentators.
The same with NBA, Fanduel, or other names. And when they finish advertising it, both commentators will start talking about the Over and Under, the line before the game started, handicaps, and it will continue until the end of the game.
I can say I already got used to it although I am against those because kids are probably watching and now they have an idea of what is happening or they will start asking their parents what those numbers are. It will be difficult to be in a position to answer all of those without mentioning the "gambling" word.

I don't think it's destroying the sports industry, more like boosting it, but again, what about the minors who are watching? There are no NBA Kids or Football Kids applications that are available like Youtube kids to filter those gambling ads.

[Wapfika]

This is the new era of advertisement due to the popularity of online casino specifically sports betting. Teams, clubs and players keep playing due to their salary while their salary comes from the management who earn mostly now through the odds. Whether we like or not, Players will not play without salary which is why ads is now very aggressive especially gamblings that is directly involved the sports with their books.

Ads finance everything including news or podcast that’s why they are motivated to keep sharing insights. There’s some channel that provides premium services that removes ads but with exchange for extra payment. This is now the reality and I doubt they will cut it since it provides a huge source of income.

[Churchillvv]

The increase in sport betting websites etc has been responsible for all this ads that we keep seeing in recent times.

Almost everyone want to be the top or wants more traffic than others so they pay people to put in there ads every where in the internet no just podcasts and others as you mention but almost every where. imagine making a transaction with a local bank app and you're seeing ads asking you to deposit and play it's insane this days.

I gamble but not always so I get pissed when I see this ads, the podcast which you mention are even hosted by this sport betting cooperations so how then do we stop them? it's just a matter of time we will get over it.

[Jawhead999]

Let's be frank, they need money to survive.

Most of top teams are rich, they won many leagues, they get sponsors and they can sign more strong players.

But mediocre teams that never become a champion will have a hard time to get sponsors, they can survive without accepting gambling sponsors, but they don't have money to buy good players, so there's a chance they could relegated to second tier leagues.

[uneng]

Not only the teams, but also athletes and championships are sponsored by determined betting houses. I don't understand very well why it happened suddenly in sports industry. Is it that betting houses offer superior sponsor rates, or is it that previous brands aren't interested in sponsoring sports matches anymore? I remember some years ago we have several brands from fast food and technology niches everywhere on athletes' uniforms, stadiums ads and on TV propagandas, but now it seems everything turns around betting houses.

A potential detrimental impact over sports I can imagine, is the fact it can lead to more frequent events of fixed matches, as the teams and players won't be exactly working to show performance and defeat their rivals, rather they will be working to benefit determined individuals who are engaged on gambling practice. However, the determining factor to conclude if it's going to happen or not, isn't the gambling industry sponsorship over sports industry, but the ethics of the people involved on these businesses. If we are talking about an ethical society, who respects laws and its fellow citizens, there isn't a detrimental impact after all.

[tsaroz]

Let's be frank, they need money to survive.

Most of top teams are rich, they won many leagues, they get sponsors and they can sign more strong players.

But mediocre teams that never become a champion will have a hard time to get sponsors, they can survive without accepting gambling sponsors, but they don't have money to buy good players, so there's a chance they could relegated to second tier leagues.

This is true. The level of sports we are seeing and enjoying at the moment are largely due to advertisement money involved. That is the money that translates to clubs and players. In this time of global sports, advertising is the only source of income for players, teams and organizers. The ticket price may cover the cost of keeping the stadium in order and nothing more.
If there were no gambling ads there would have been something else. The reason why gambling advertiser pay more for sports coverage is, all of its viewers are the target audience for sports betting. Personally, I don't listen to any pre-match, interval or post-match analysis. I get my info and stats from mobile apps. And I haven't encountered the commenter talk about gambling odds in mid play.

[Juse14]

I completely understand the frustration you feel regarding the penetration of gambling advertising that appears in almost every sports broadcast, so this may be quite disturbing to you. Viewers looking for content about sports, especially football, often find themselves annoyed by excessive gambling advertising, which can divert our focus from the main aspects of the sport itself.

But on the other hand, gambling platforms also have quite an important role in the world of sports, where gambling platforms are present to participate in supporting the sustainability and growth of the sports industry through sponsorship, advertising and partnerships that brands have established with several clubs and certain sports tournaments, including several media outlets. broadcast sports.

But it is true, that gambling advertising needs to be limited, so that the integrity and attractiveness of the sports industry is maintained, because not everyone likes gambling or betting, but almost everyone likes sports.

[cabron]

Sponsors today are so powerful that they can decide what the team has to do or what commentators have to say and not to say.  I can understand those guys including the podcasters sponsored by those betting sites have to earn money but getting in the way of stopping the show for their ads to be specifically mentioned by the host is pretty much exerting their influence to the fullest.

When there's too much competition for these bookmakers in the sports game, they will have to make a deal to make their company visible to the public to the point of buying the team itself.

[Gozie51]

What vexes me the most is that as a viewer or listener who tunes in to hear these individuals talk about the sport, the players, the clubs, and generally everything about the game, they instead spend the majority of their time diverting attention away from the sport their audiences actually care about.

Right now, I would rather read news commentary or simply lower my expectations of them. Totally insane.

Lol... You seem really vexed with your observation of those sports programs on TV or radio. I guess you like football match more than other sports but you know certain amount of people also like either tennis, boxing, cricket, golf, basketball, formula 1, cycling etc, so there has to be balancing. It won't be a nice thing when their are tournament on some other sports and an analyst comes in to a program and only touches on football and doesn't say anything about other sports that are ongoing.

Even though football takes more attention in many of the sports programs but other people also deserve to hear something on their own cherished sports and its updates. So I think it is about balancing of the program and of course those programs are regulated and presenters must have to follow the director and not to do his own wish even if he also prefers football like you  

[Cantsay]

Even though football takes more attention in many of the sports programs but other people also deserve to hear something on their own cherished sports and its updates. So I think it is about balancing of the program and of course those programs are regulated and presenters must have to follow the director and not to do his own wish even if he also prefers football like you  

The Op isn’t referring to the balancing of other sports, what he’s trying to say is the fact that sometimes commentators tends to deviate from what they are supposed to do and start talking about something that’s not related which is sponsors and the odds of the games and that’s not what viewers are there to listen to. As for the images the Op shared - I don’t see any issue with them if they have it printed all over them it’s fine but they should at least stick to what they were originally supposed to do and let gambling or odds sites do the gambling jobs they should mix maych commentating with gambling businesses that all I can say about it.

[Bananington]

It has become quite a concern really, because it seems like the game of soccer was created just for these gambling sites and the Pundits. Hence why they have made it a constant act to take advantage of viewers or listeners to advertise betting/gambling odds and likely predictions or outcome of games during the sport programs they host and sponsor in more ways than one.

Since the economy has become constantly depressed and has seen more youths and adults who either indulge in sports by actively playing it or by betting/gambling on outcomes of matches being played, make a career out of it, more businesses and programs being aired over live TV or podcasts, would adopt this medium to market their gambling brands by showing knowledge of the game with predictions and analysis of  results as key points to dwell on from their sponsors.

[Hispo]

Sponsors today are so powerful that they can decide what the team has to do or what commentators have to say and not to say.  I can understand those guys including the podcasters sponsored by those betting sites have to earn money but getting in the way of stopping the show for their ads to be specifically mentioned by the host is pretty much exerting their influence to the fullest.

When there's too much competition for these bookmakers in the sports game, they will have to make a deal to make their company visible to the public to the point of buying the team itself.

I am not against the sponsorships those teams and the sport books could get, but one also needs to be aware there will be people who just wish to enjoy the match and the sport as whole without having to engage in betting, Op is a good example of such group of people, who does not want their TV being bombarded constantly with that sort of content.
By the way, it is not a only about the perceived detriment all this could have on the sports and the way they are covered in general, but because of the intensive sponsorship some clubs have with sport books, it becomes easier for children and teen to see those advertisements on TV and allowing their curiosity to take over, they could end up signing up to a casino eventually.
I am okey with advertisement in the uniform of the players, also with ads on the sides of the stadium, but having hosts and commentators talking about odds instead other things, like the performance of the players or the strategies they have managed to pulled off during the match, to me, is going a little bit too far from what these matches are supposed to be about.
I can even imagine how big the next Football world cup will be in terms of advertisement and sponsorships, though I know it will be enjoy enjoyable regardless.

[Lida93]

Sponsors today are so powerful that they can decide what the team has to do or what commentators have to say and not to say.  I can understand those guys including the podcasters sponsored by those betting sites have to earn money but getting in the way of stopping the show for their ads to be specifically mentioned by the host is pretty much exerting their influence to the fullest.

When there's too much competition for these bookmakers in the sports game, they will have to make a deal to make their company visible to the public to the point of buying the team itself.

I am not against the sponsorships those teams and the sport books could get, but one also needs to be aware there will be people who just wish to enjoy the match and the sport as whole without having to engage in betting, Op is a good example of such group of people, who does not want their TV being bombarded constantly with that sort of content.

At this era of sports there is nothing we can do about it the advertisement will always surface because the gambling industry is now an integral part of the sport a major sponsor. All you can do is to ignore when those adverts are made or just look the other way. It is what it is.

 

By the way, it is not a only about the perceived detriment all this could have on the sports and the way they are covered in general, but because of the intensive sponsorship some clubs have with sport books, it becomes easier for children and teen to see those advertisements on TV and allowing their curiosity to take over, they could end up signing up to a casino eventually.

This is why parents shouldn't fumble from taking up their responsibility as parents to children. Tell your children what is right and wrong and the consequences that can follow from their unhealthy curiosity about those betting company adverts. When we tell our children about the evils of gambling as an underage we won't have to worry about them that much.

[cabron]

Sponsors today are so powerful that they can decide what the team has to do or what commentators have to say and not to say.  I can understand those guys including the podcasters sponsored by those betting sites have to earn money but getting in the way of stopping the show for their ads to be specifically mentioned by the host is pretty much exerting their influence to the fullest.

When there's too much competition for these bookmakers in the sports game, they will have to make a deal to make their company visible to the public to the point of buying the team itself.

I am not against the sponsorships those teams and the sport books could get, but one also needs to be aware there will be people who just wish to enjoy the match and the sport as whole without having to engage in betting, Op is a good example of such group of people, who does not want their TV being bombarded constantly with that sort of content.

At this era of sports there is nothing we can do about it the advertisement will always surface because the gambling industry is now an integral part of the sport a major sponsor. All you can do is to ignore when those adverts are made or just look the other way. It is what it is.

 

By the way, it is not a only about the perceived detriment all this could have on the sports and the way they are covered in general, but because of the intensive sponsorship some clubs have with sport books, it becomes easier for children and teen to see those advertisements on TV and allowing their curiosity to take over, they could end up signing up to a casino eventually.

This is why parents shouldn't fumble from taking up their responsibility as parents to children. Tell your children what is right and wrong and the consequences that can follow from their unhealthy curiosity about those betting company adverts. When we tell our children about the evils of gambling as an underage we won't have to worry about them that much.

When I saw those sponsors are powerful, they can impose cancel culture actually which is why even the NBA commentators are careful with what they are saying. This world is becoming very unhealthy for someone who just loves sports and is careless about what sponsors will think. These sponsors will even dictate which of their tweets should be deleted.

And yes the teens are going to be influenced by those ads. When they hear the commentators analyze betting odds, they will be curious and how it actually works.
If they wanna sound smart to their friends, this is the first they might want to talk about. Signing up is easy these days, every kid today already has an email and I think the bookmakers are targeting them too.

[Zlantann]

What vexes me the most is that as a viewer or listener who tunes in to hear these individuals talk about the sport, the players, the clubs, and generally everything about the game, they instead spend the majority of their time diverting attention away from the sport their audiences actually care about.

Right now, I would rather read news commentary or simply lower my expectations of them. Totally insane.

This is a problem sports bets are bringing to the sporting industry. Sports activities are now synonymous with gambling because games are always bombarded with gambling advertisements. But we have to learn how to endure this distraction because most of these gambling firms are the major financiers of some sporting activities. One of my concerns is seeing these adverts even when children are watching these games. Some of these young sports fans might be exposed to gambling due to these advertisements. Maybe the government should be able to make laws that will restrict some of these ads because it is almost becoming uncontrollable. I don't think it is possible to avoid watching these sports shows because they also bring some level of entertainment.

[Fortify]

I'm not opposed to sports betting, but I believe it's had a detrimental effect on sports, particularly football, which is immensely popular in my country.  It is with dismay that I have noticed that there is not a single sports show or podcast that doesn't have its listeners or viewers bombarded with gambling ads, "odds," and discussions about whether the line should be -3.5 or -2.5 by the pundits, hosts, and commentators.

What vexes me the most is that as a viewer or listener who tunes in to hear these individuals talk about the sport, the players, the clubs, and generally everything about the game, they instead spend the majority of their time diverting attention away from the sport their audiences actually care about.

Right now, I would rather read news commentary or simply lower my expectations of them. Totally insane.

You know these shows that you love so much, these footballers that receive hundred million dollar contracts, are partly funded by the gambling companies that you so despise? Nobody is forced into gambling, there are plenty of warnings and even built in self protection that they offer, but it is actually people who voluntarily - and greedily - hand over their money because they think they can get one up on these companies. All the odds are right out there in plain sight for anyone to see before they spend a penny, clearly stating that on average they are guaranteed to lose $3 out of every $100 that they play. If these advertisers were not there, then wages would get depressed and it would be funded by more oil money or any other source you can imagine.

[Lida93]

Sponsors today are so powerful that they can decide what the team has to do or what commentators have to say and not to say.  I can understand those guys including the podcasters sponsored by those betting sites have to earn money but getting in the way of stopping the show for their ads to be specifically mentioned by the host is pretty much exerting their influence to the fullest.

When there's too much competition for these bookmakers in the sports game, they will have to make a deal to make their company visible to the public to the point of buying the team itself.

I am not against the sponsorships those teams and the sport books could get, but one also needs to be aware there will be people who just wish to enjoy the match and the sport as whole without having to engage in betting, Op is a good example of such group of people, who does not want their TV being bombarded constantly with that sort of content.

At this era of sports there is nothing we can do about it the advertisement will always surface because the gambling industry is now an integral part of the sport a major sponsor. All you can do is to ignore when those adverts are made or just look the other way. It is what it is.

 

By the way, it is not a only about the perceived detriment all this could have on the sports and the way they are covered in general, but because of the intensive sponsorship some clubs have with sport books, it becomes easier for children and teen to see those advertisements on TV and allowing their curiosity to take over, they could end up signing up to a casino eventually.

This is why parents shouldn't fumble from taking up their responsibility as parents to children. Tell your children what is right and wrong and the consequences that can follow from their unhealthy curiosity about those betting company adverts. When we tell our children about the evils of gambling as an underage we won't have to worry about them that much.

And yes the teens are going to be influenced by those ads. When they hear the commentators analyze betting odds, they will be curious and how it actually works.
If they wanna sound smart to their friends, this is the first they might want to talk about. Signing up is easy these days, every kid today already has an email and I think the bookmakers are targeting them too.

Be that as it may I still stand on my ground that if as parents you exposed the evil side of gambling to your children and bring them to light about their dangers even before the sport commentators or analysts get to them they won't be an easy prey to their gimmicks. It is ignorance on the side of the children about all these things that makes them fall for those ads therefore wanting to know what's behind the ads out of teens curiosity to unravel new things but when they are been brushed up about those ads and where it leads to prior to when they observe it I don't think it will generate any curiosity or enthusiasm to delve into it order than just enjoying the sport as a spectator.