LIFE GETS BETTER FOR SPORTS BETTORS
Reason magazine|March 2022
BUT PLACING A WAGER ON YOUR FAVORITE TEAM IS STILL TOO COMPLICATED IN MANY STATES.
JASON RUSSELL
LIFE GETS BETTER FOR SPORTS BETTORS

ON NOVEMBER 30, English soccer teams Newcastle United and Norwich City played to a 1–1 draw in a Premier League matchup. The teams were last and second-to-last in the league at the time, so even most diehard soccer fans didn’t care much about the result.

But I cared. I kept a close eye on the match as Newcastle had a player sent off, managed to take the lead anyway in the second half, and relinquished that lead with about 10 minutes left. The result cost me $10.

Shortly after that match ended, Leeds United scored a late penalty kick to get a win over Crystal Palace, and I made $6.25. I lost a few dollars overall, but it was worth it for the entertainment of having a financial stake in the result of two soccer matches I otherwise wouldn’t have mustered much enthusiasm for.

I placed my bets for both matches at the Caesars Sportsbook inside Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. A sportsbook is a venue, physical or virtual, where betting on sports can occur. The in-person Caesars Sportsbook location is basically a sports bar that also has desks and computer kiosks; patrons can place bets using the kiosks or using the Caesars Sportsbook app while they’re in the building.

It’s a way for sports fans to raise the stakes and try to make a little money—with more skill required and entertainment provided than picking random lottery numbers and watching some ping pong balls bounce around (though some sportsbooks do accept bets on table tennis matches). Even if a bet loses, the bettor paid whatever amount they lost for the entertainment of having a financial stake in the game. It’s not all that different from paying for a movie and getting entertainment in return, but in this case the entertainment is the potential to make money offsports drama.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM REASON MAGAZINEView all
Gimme Shelter  - The U.S. confronts a growing homelessness problem. Does Miami have the answer?
Reason magazine

Gimme Shelter - The U.S. confronts a growing homelessness problem. Does Miami have the answer?

The U.S. confronts a growing homelessness problem. Does Miami have the answer?

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
AI Is Coming for Hollywood's Jobs
Reason magazine

AI Is Coming for Hollywood's Jobs

But so is everyone else.

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2024
AI Can Do Paperwork Doctors Hate
Reason magazine

AI Can Do Paperwork Doctors Hate

With help from AI, doctors can focus on patients.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024
Antitrust May Smother the Power of AI
Reason magazine

Antitrust May Smother the Power of AI

Left alone, AI could actually help small firms compete with tech giants.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
A Brief, Biased History of the Culture Wars
Reason magazine

A Brief, Biased History of the Culture Wars

THE FIRST PAR AGR APH of the book jacket lays it out: “There is a common belief that we live in unprecedented times, that people are too sensitive today, that nobody objected to the actions of actors, comedians, and filmmakers in the past.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024
FAMILIES NEED A VIBE SHIFT
Reason magazine

FAMILIES NEED A VIBE SHIFT

THE AUTHORS OF FOUR NEW BOOKSWITH 24 KIDS BETWEEN THEM-SAY THE AMERICAN FAMILY NEEDS A COURSE CORRECTION.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
"The Past Is There To Teach Us What Can Happen'
Reason magazine

"The Past Is There To Teach Us What Can Happen'

Hardcore History's Dan Carlin on hero worship and moral assumptions in the study of the past

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
Cutting Off Israel
Reason magazine

Cutting Off Israel

ENDING U.S. AID WOULD GIVE WASHINGTON LESS LEVERAGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THAT’S WHY IT’S WORTH DOING.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
WHAT CAUSED THE D.C.CRIME WAVE?
Reason magazine

WHAT CAUSED THE D.C.CRIME WAVE?

GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT, NOT SENTENCING REFORM OR SPARSE SOCIAL SPENDING, DESERVES THE BLAME.

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2024
States Turn Their Backs on Criminal Justice Reform
Reason magazine

States Turn Their Backs on Criminal Justice Reform

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE to avoid the “strange bedfellows” cliché when reading about the criminal justice reform movement in the 2010s.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2024