I am going to brag for a second. I closed my first college football season of gambling really strong. The conference championship games treated me well, largely because I saw a few numbers that struck me as wildly wrong and I pounced.
As you can see, I didn’t throw a lot of money around last weekend, but as I have written before, this was more about the experience than about winning big bucks.
So what did my first football season of gambling teach me? What insight into the bettor’s mentality did I gain?
First, it is undeniably true that the more you know, the more you are invested. That is the case with any game, right? When I was a kid, I hated The Legend of Zelda because I didn’t understand what the mission was, but I loved Mortal Kombat, because the rules and objectives were easy to comprehend.
Broadcasters need to be aware that there are plenty of people out there that want real dives into the games. They want to find an advantage, and the only way to do that is to better understand the teams, players, and situations that will affect the outcome.
I would argue that bettors, in general, are still a minority of the audience, and truly hard-core bettors are an even smaller minority. Go for the deep dives. Present unique and interesting information to the listeners, but make sure it pertains to the games that are most relevant to the largest audience.
Next, props and parlays are the most fun way to play. Are they the smartest way to bet games? Absolutely not, but if you are a casual gambler that prioritizes the experience over the outcome, they represent a chance to utilize what you know to possibly hit on a bigger score.
Sports gambling radio seems to get this and structure their programming based on the relationship their target audience has with this kind of gambling. VSiN is targeting serious gamblers. You hear more about teasers than parlays and more about how stats will play into the outcome of games than about individual props.
BetQL is all about “wager-tainment”. The network wants the bigger piece of the pie, the gamblers that are there to put a little money down to make the game more interesting. I hear Nick Kostos putting together fun and creative parlays all the time.
Plenty of local stations are doing this too. WEEI’s Gresh & Keefe give out their Boston parlay every week. 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh do their Pick-A-Prop contest, where listeners are assigned a prop bet for local hockey and basketball games for a chance to win.
If showing up to the sportsbook (in person or virtually) is like making your own burger, spreads and over/unders are the meat and cheese. Props and parlays are the condiments that define the flavor. They are just more interesting to hear a host talk about than picks against the spread.
Finally, I don’t care about anyone’s gut feeling. I hear so many analysts that are not gambling people by trade tell me to avoid a game or make a bet because they “just have a gut feeling about this one.”
Dawg, if I am following anyone’s gut, it’ll be my own. You’re an analyst. Analyze! Give me information and context I couldn’t have. This one actually isn’t gambling specific at all, right? This is broadcasting 101. Have a reason for everything you say and do. Never stop pushing the story and conversation forward.
If you have a gut feeling, tell me why. Is it history? Is it how shaky things have looked of late for the team the experts are picking? There is always more to say.
I’m done betting for the season. I was always planning to keep my bets as a college football-only thing and the regular season is over. Frankly, anyone betting bowl season is a fool. These teams all have different ways they will go about preparing for games, and that introduces elements you just can’t account for.
So for now, my betting days are over. I will definitely be back next season. Sure, betting is just adding homework to sports, and that is dumb, but it does give you a fun and different way to look at and talk about games. Plus, I made $71!
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
