Why Gamblers Are Betting On Sharks

Some sharks embark on journeys that span thousands of miles. Some bookies warn that you will sleep with the fishes. But one bookmaker wants you to bet on them instead.

- Katherine J. Wu

A couple of weeks ago, MyBookie, an online sportsbook, invited gamblers to place wagers on the summer migration patterns of nine great white sharks. The company’s website displayed odds on various aspects of each shark’s travel itinerary, using data mined from Ocearch, a nonprofit that has been tracking the animals’ movements for years. An interactive map on Ocearch’s website monitors shark migration in near-real time, providing gamblers ample fodder for wagers — akin, perhaps, to a virtual horse race, conducted entirely at sea.

With most public sports out of commission because of the coronavirus pandemic, the betting market has been thin in recent months.