When it came to sports betting, it used to be the domain of men. That is not the case anymore. Women are starting to bet more and more on sports. Perhaps they seek the same thrills that men do.
But what about women’s sports themselves? Are more people betting on the WNBA or other women’s sports as much as men’s sports? It may seem like the tide is starting to shift in their favor.
The History
While there have been laws banning gambling on sports, both men’s and women’s, that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been done. This has been going on since the beginning of sports competitions and it will likely continue as long as people play sports in front of audiences.
Women’s sports were first recognized in the United States in a roundabout way – they were actually trying to keep women from gambling, too. That doesn’t come as a surprise, since they were unable to vote for a long time, too. It was the mid-1800s and women educators wanted to gather and play sports themselves. It was not until 1972, though, when Title IX was created, allowing women to play sports that were funded by the federal government.
Sports betting had an uphill climb, though. In 1992, it was deemed that people could only bet on sports in Nevada. It was called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. That made the sportsbooks that sprang up in Las Vegas very happy, but it was difficult for the rest of the country. That ended in 2018 when that Act was struck down by the Supreme Court. It opened up sports betting to the rest of the country.
Women’s sports have continued to gain in popularity and female athletes have also started making headway in pay, with the United States Women’s soccer team winning a lawsuit that got them equal pay to the men’s team. The April 2022 NCAA women’s championship was the most-watched game on ESPN in 14 years and millions of people bet on the game as well.
Betting On Women’s Sports Gains in Popularity
When it comes to quantifying how people are betting on women’s sports, one of the best sources are the sports books themselves. According to FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars, there has been a steady increase in year-to-year betting.They have also increased the number of options available for people to bet on. The WNBA has become a popular one for people to wager on.
This is because there has been more TV coverage of the league and more popular college players are entering the league in the Draft. That makes for more compelling viewing and wagers.
It’s not just basketball that has gained people’s interest. Women’s tennis has also been a drawing point for sports betting. People may want to bet on a particular tennis player who has a history of doing well in a certain tournament, for example.
Women’s Sports Fans Have The Power In Their Hands
There is a great tool for people to bet on sports – smartphones. People can just go to apps like DraftKings and FanDuel and bet on the games … sometimes as it is being played. Fans of women’s sports are also much more familiar with these mobile apps. They usually had to find ways to watch them when they were not being televised.
So it makes sense that they are more comfortable with navigating these sports betting sites via the apps that are available. They can instantly use the apps and bet when they want, as opposed to the older group, who might be stuck in the past of just contacting sports books.
Women’s sports still have a fight ahead of them to gain more of a market share next to men’s sports. It’s hard to get complete data since the two sports are on relatively uneven ground. If the women players continue to have compelling athletes who can perform and gain people’s attention, then that playing field will be much more level.
As these women sports bettors continue to grow in size, with the younger generation gaining more of a foothold, then that can also help push out the older misogynistic ones that don’t respect women’s sports. It’s all about progress and the younger generation seems to be more in favor of that.
Sports betting itself has been more ingrained, with major sports leagues partnering with entities like FanDuel or DraftKings. The women are more than ready to sit at the table with the men.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com
