I was a sociology undergraduate in 2017. I took a pop culture class back then, but I wasn’t that interested in journalism. My final project focused on basketball. I explored how online media changed fandom, shifting it from a team view to an individual one. In other words, how fans began following players like Kevin Durant for their personal brand and story, rather than just the team jersey they wore (and he’s worn quite a few!).
It’s cool to see this trend in sports betting. Sites like TonyBet capture that player excitement. Athletes can interact with their fans. They have access to real-time information, performance wagers, and stat checks.
How can I be so sure? Well…because I have experienced it first-hand!
And still, he is not exempt from the temptation of emotional hedging. Vinny is a regular gambler. He often shows me his parlay tickets. He also updates me on what needs to happen for them to win. One day, with the Warriors playing the Mavericks during our shift, I asked him if he had any action on the game.
“Oh yeah, I actually bet against the Warriors.”
When I pried into why, he answered quickly.
“‘Cause they’re on a back-to-back, and the line was only -1.5 [for the Mavs].
was all that he said.
This generation of sports gambling brings even more conflict. Inner turmoil is the start. It’s fantastic that social media allows fans to interact directly with players. Yet, it also permits a great deal of poisonous conduct, particularly when money is involved. A harsh article takes writing professionals days to create, but a venomous DM can be sent in an instant. This makes fandom-less engagement worse. Fans of a team or player often attack others who don’t win their bets. Sports professionals are often easy to reach and eager to connect with fans. Yet, this can lead to betting interactions that strain the fan-player relationship.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff touched on one particularly nasty message he received.
“Some sports gamblers sent me messages about my home and kids. It’s a dangerous game, and we’re walking a fine line. We must be careful about how close we let it get to the games.”
For these gamblers, the betting ticket is more important than the outcome of the game. When betting is involved, fandom disappears. Players and coaches are seen as lackeys, there to make money for others. Mixing game results with personal problems is a big part of a bad gambling experience. Betting services will likely grow. This means it will occur more frequently and become more widely accepted.
This is a tough outcome. It’s worse than the decline of fandoms. Still, the huge revenue from legalized gambling may make it easier to accept.
As noted by my groupmates, the meteoric rise of gambling accessibility through official channels drives competition on all fronts. The competition on both fronts necessitates a broadening of the marketing pool. They don’t want sports fans — but betting fans, possibly even more so than the former. They want people with weak ties to engage with teams and players. This is because their betting doesn’t rely on loyalty, like whether the team is good. They actually do the opposite. They become regulars who place bets on many sports, leagues, teams, and players. Players who use a betting Discord server, like Howard Ratner, are easy targets. Over time, sportsbooks know they can gain an edge against them. It’s the adage once more: resorts are not built on winners. This time, they come with a warning: they rely on those who feel deliberately left out.