Overtime, or “OT,” is an opinion column series where The Collegian takes national sports headlines or polarizing topics and gives them a Butler-centric angle.
Do you want a sure and safe way to make money? Do you enjoy watching your favorite teams and players give their all in their respective sports? Maybe you just want to put on a game to pass some time, and there is no care what the outcome or score will be?
If you agreed to any or all of these questions, sports betting is probably not for you.
Sports betting has become the driving force behind pre-game shows, a source of income for others and it is becoming dangerous. There are no forces that stop anyone from placing a bet, and when it is available at one’s fingertips — particularly with technology introducing real-time betting — it becomes that much easier to lose money.
Setting the money aside, the perspectives that come when watching sports can be influenced by the betting world. Betting on certain teams or players can influence feelings about the outcome of the game, regardless of the bigger picture. If someone has ever wished for a player to get injured during a game due to their stats, then they should not be betting.
Some people are influenced by the betting world without even wagering on the teams that they like.
Junior sports media major Aaron Rhoades places a couple of bets a week on average, but still avoids betting on events that feature his favorite teams.
“I tend to stay away from the teams I root for because I think it’s bad luck,” Rhoades said. “When I bet against the team, and I’m hate-watching them, I’ve noticed they always end up making me lose my money and then my pride because they end up winning.”
Some people, like Rhoades, have discovered they would rather enjoy the game they are watching rather than root for certain plays to happen to win some money. This is a sign of a healthy relationship with betting.
Unfortunately, there are unhealthy relationships with betting that are quite common. Examples include trying to hedge a loss, avoiding social events to track bets, constantly checking betting apps while on a date, screaming at the TV and many more. These are all problems that can be overcome, and step one is identifying the issue.
Some of these problems develop with new gamblers or people chasing a high to win a couple thousand dollars with a five-dollar wager. Betting responsibly comes from experience, as well as setting limits and expectations.
Alexander Carter, PhD, an assistant professor of strategic communication, has some experience with sports betting and delivers a solid mentality.
“I’m entertained by sports in general, so as long as the game is entertaining [I’ll watch], if it’s not, I’ll just turn it off,” Carter said. “[I’m] not mad at the players of the team, they’re trying to win and doing what’s best for them in the season. Sometimes [I’ll get mad at] the coach a little bit if I feel like they’re making some weird decisions, but that’s just me.”
It is hard to stay composed at events out of one’s control when money is on the line. It is important to only gamble with money that you can afford to lose. With that being said, it can still affect somebody’s mood when they come up short.
Junior sports media major Drew Pieschalski found the recent March Madness tournament evoked some attitudinal changes when watching some of the games.
“I saw myself getting a lot more irritated and a little upset during March Madness,” Pieschalski said. “Anything can happen in the tournament, and there were a lot of blown leads, so there was anger involved.”
Gambling can be seen as a degenerate activity, and rightfully so. This can be seen when wagers start reaching obscene amounts and the number of legs on a parlay exceeds past two or three.
The NFL only lasts about five months, the MLB lasts about seven and the NBA lasts eight or nine. That means someone’s favorite sport might not be available for them to bet on all year. This results in taking time off from gambling for some, but for others, it just means finding something else to bet on.
Dr. Carter explained some of the more extreme bets he has placed.
“Definitely some Division II basketball,” Carter said. “Back in the day, I started getting into the sport called jai alai. It’s like racquetball, but it’s played with these [beach-like curved throwers]. The ball can go at 200-something miles an hour. I only found out about it because a friend of mine had started betting on Indonesian jai alai games, and he had it on at his house.”
Sports betting can lead degenerates to follow interesting sports like jai alai, but it is important not to let it consume their betting habits.
When it comes to tackling these habits, first, never try to win back the money that was lost, because that money will be doubled and lost again. Second, it is not the player’s or team’s fault that the parlay missed; they were not tracking anybody’s individual bet to miss it on purpose. Lastly, set a limit for oneself, and only bet with money that will not be missed.
Sports betting is not meant to be a source of income, yet it can be fun to do with friends and challenge someone’s knowledge of the game. Eat your betting money, do not bet with your eating money.
If you have a gambling problem, contact the gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700.