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WRESTLING AND GAMBLING: WHY IT IS A PERFECT MATCH

Whether you’re a wrestling fan or not, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about World Wrestling Entertainment. It is, after all, the largest pro wrestling company in the world and has more than 36 million viewers across 150 countries. With such a huge and diverse audience, WWE is raking in close to a billion dollars each year and it continues to attract more spectators today.

The popularity of pro-wrestling has convinced bookmakers to start taking wagers for WWE events a few years ago, and it became an instant hit to wrestling fans. But not long after, questions about betting on a pre-determined match caused a divide in the sports betting industry with detractors saying that pro-wrestling is merely a promotional ploy for bookmakers to earn money. A lot of experts, however, believe that pro-wrestling is a huge untapped market with strong potential and here’s why:

• Pro-wrestling is a legitimate business

As a gambler, the first thing that you’d naturally look at is legitimacy. This is why you read reviews to find the best mobile casino, ask for recommendations from friends who gamble and do your own research to make sure that you’re putting your money on the right company.

This also goes the same with betting on pro-wrestling and you can bet on WWE’s legitimacy as a business. Aside from being a million-dollar company, WWE also forged a partnership with ESPN and other media outlets cementing its legitimacy further.

• Bookmakers only allow betting on limited events

While WWE has over 500 events every year, bookmakers only allow for a limited number of events to be betted on. Most sports betting sites only accept bets for Royal Rumble, Summer Slam, WrestleMania and Survivor Series.

Last year, however, some online betting sites have started accepting wagers on all 14 WWE pay-per-view events, which means gamblers have more options for their bets and better chances at winning.

• Pro-wrestling betting lines follow the same rules as other sports

If you’ve been betting on other sports, you won’t have a hard time betting on pro-wrestling since bookmakers follow almost the same set of rules for taking bets. For instance, most betting sites release WWE lines a few days before a PPV event just like betting lines for NFL games are released every Wednesday prior to Sunday’s game.

• Betting on pro-wrestling has some strict rules

Betting on a WWE event is almost similar to betting on boxing or Mixed Martial Arts, although bookmakers placed a cap on wager amounts for pro-wrestling events because of their pre-determined finishes. Most sports betting sites have a $50 limit per wager on the underdog. If you’re betting on the favorite, however, you will be required to bet a certain amount just to win $50. Yes, the maximum win for a favorite is $50.

Sports betting sites have also eliminated parlay bets on WWE events to avoid insider betting. This was after an incident happened at the 2017 Summer Slam PPV where a gambler placed a $3.36 parlay on all 10 matches and ended up winning more than $45,000. Since bettors suspected that this was a WWE insider, parlay betting has been removed completely by betting sites to avoid losses on their end.

If you’re ready to get started on betting for WWE events, here are some tips that you can follow:

• Find betting sites with the right offers

Since not all sportsbooks are offering WWE betting yet, you have to find trustworthy website with this type of wagering on a consistent basis. Most credible sites offer bets for season-long winners, weekly competitions and prop bets. You’ll also find sites that offer great bonuses such as doubling your deposit amount if you place $300.

• Look at history to make smart betting decisions

Unlike your regular sport where you have to look at a team’s performance or a player’s skills, you will have to rely on history and the writing decision of the show’s writers to have a good idea about who will win a match. Remember that writers are humans, which make them prone to follow patterns and have personal preferences. So, before you bet on anyone, make sure to watch previous matches first to help you make a better betting decision.

Finally, it’s very important to know the basic lingo in WWE betting. For instance, “babyface” means the good guy or hero of the story who is also most likely to be a favorite. A “blowoff,” on the other hand, is the last match between two wrestlers that means there will more drama and intensity since they’ll go separate ways after the match is over.

 

 

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