In 2020, there is hardly any part of the world where sports betting does not happen. From the West coast of America to the farthest extremes of the South-East, there is a website somewhere and a number of people putting their money and wisdom on the line. From the age-old offline casinos to ultramodern bitcoin bookmakers, there is a form of betting of gambling going on in every city of the world.
Now let’s not kid ourselves or anybody else. Betting activities of any sort are by no means illegal so long the bookmakers are duly recognized in the given locality. However, gambling (that is what this whole thing is all about) is not exactly the noblest of activities. A preacher, a gambler and an archer will not be perceived in the same light by society.
So in this article, we will look at this online money-making activity through the eyes of many groups of people in society. Get ready to have some fun but educational content shortly. But first of all, it is important for us to state some facts about betting.
First Things First
In the headings that follow shortly, we will picture each group of people and try to figure out the dominant attitude they have towards sports betting. But first, let us learn some fundamental stuff about betting as that will help bring clarity and understanding to anyone who might be reading about such topics for the first time.
Legal Status
Sports betting is legal in most countries of the world; literally everywhere. However, it appears that participation in such activities has been restricted to adults. Typically, people under the age of 18 are not legally qualified to place bets. They are not even allowed to sign up on betting sites and if they do, they do that at their own risk as they could lose their accounts in the event that it is somehow revealed that they are underage. Will talk about how this affects social perception of betting much later in this article.
Mode of Operation
To place a bet, the punter can either go to a physical brick and mortar terminal of his chosen bookmaker where an agent helps him process his permutations or does it online. In Africa, bet shops or kiosks are still very popular among the people. Many punters would manually go to their favourite bet shops, make their permutations and have a slip printed out for them after they must have placed their bets. Some others – perhaps the majority of all punters – will simply log in to their account (with their preferred bookmaker) and stake on the games they have chosen. You will need to learn stake tips if you are new to staking on sports.
Different People and How They Perceive Sport Betting
Now let’s get down to it. . .
Gender
Men and women see sports differently. This can be traced to the earliest conditioning in life during childhood. But what is even more responsible for this will be the centuries of social conditioning which has basically taught women how to act and taught men how to behave. Men have been groomed by nature to be aggressive and competitive while women are expected to be meek. How do these conditionings affect how each gender thinks about sports betting? We will find out below.
Women
I know a few women who are into sports betting. But it is fair to say this represents a minority of women. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria to be precise, it is seen as odd for women to be involved in gambling of any sort. Online or offline, punting is seen as a men’s thing. Of course, there is no rule which says women should not be allowed to place wagers. It’s just that that is the way things are. Beyond the African continent, it is a known fact that women are not really that into betting.
Casinos and bookmakers – women see these things as masculine. Julie, a friend of mine, once told me “I’d rather binge-watch Lord of the Rings over again than spend 5 minutes of my time trying to figure out who would likely win a tennis tournament or who gets the first home run in a match up. Perhaps we now have an idea why most jackpot winners are men.
Men
It will be wrong to say all men love sports but it won’t be an error to declare that it is difficult to find a man that does not love one form of sport or another. Now, while almost all men love one form of port or another, not all sports-loving men place bets. But then, betting is seen as a men’s thing. There is almost nothing men do not wager on. Similarly, there is almost nothing men do not bet with – their phones, shoes, gold chains and literally anything available in the moment when they need to either have fun or feed their egos.
It is not just about making money. If you do a little research into the distant past, you will realize that gambling, betting and contests have been a huge part of the male psychology. From when knights did throw down the gauntlets in a challenge to this modern era when punters stake certain sums of money on the favour of their chosen outcomes, men have always had the inclination to gamble. It is widely accepted in society with addiction among a very few others being the times when men are frowned upon for overdoing things.
Profession
A person’s profession usually does not affect his/her desire to become a punter. Personality and vocation are two different things. But then, certain professionals are expected to behave in a certain fashion. For instance, society will be more comfortable with a barber who is an avid better than a priest who does the same thing.
Once again, betting is a legal venture and individuals 18 years and older are free to participate in sports outcome permutations and in the profit and loss therein. Another group of experts who may not get the best reactions from the society for betting would-be investors and financial experts, and for obvious reasons. They hold the highest form of knowledge about money and how it works. It is common sense that sports betting heavily depends on two things: strategy and luck.
It is the sheer “luck” factor in this activity that makes financial experts look not-so-professional as they are expected to be almost always accurate in the projections and predictions. But as long as sports betting is concerned, no one has the monopoly of accuracy.
On the other hand, society takes it lightly with certain professionals too. Transporters, tradesmen, craftsmen, sportsmen and sportswomen, farmers, interns and students are somewhat “free” to bet as they so desire. People in high religious or political places are expected not to bet even though they have the freedom to do so.
Age
We will look at three broad categories. Those under the age of 18 (children); young adults (say 20 to 49); and seniors (those 50 years and above).
Children
They are not allowed to be in any country in the world. Period. If they do so, it would be deemed illegal and the bookmaker who consciously allows children to place bets does that at their own discretion and risk which will be punishable if discovered. But let’s look at the psychological effect of the betting restriction placed on children in practically every corner of the world. Children are naturally curious. The restriction on betting only makes them want to discover it looks like. Most would want to try it. The rest will stick to society’s expectations and stay away from “big people’s thing” (betting) until they are old enough to participate.
Young Adults
They make up for the majority of active punters. At this age young men and women are most enthusiastic about making money. They will generally do almost anything to make money and live the life of their dreams. They place bets more frequently and fearlessly too. Young unmarried men are naturally more willing to take financial risks than married men with family responsibilities.
Seniors
While a good chunk of seniors have saved a lot of money for their retirement life, they are generally not as willing to bet as young adults. At this age, most seniors have seen what they wanted to see in life. Some did not get to see it all but currently lack the enthusiasm of youth required to pursue these things. Do some of them still place bets? Sure. Sports betting is like entertainment for some folks. Not everyone plays solely for the sake of money.
Conclusion
Everyone wants to win the jackpot or be friends with someone who recently won one. But not everyone wants to risk it. Human society generally has a minimal resentment for betting as the ease of getting addicted it is on the high side. More men than women will be comfortable and happy to bet. Young adults are generally more excited about betting than seniors and children (who aren’t expected to bet by the way). We can say that the world’s view of betting is balanced. It’s a restricted activity for good reasons yet very open and good enough for all.
