Betting on NFL preseason games may signal a gambling problem for some.
With so much uncertainty around which players will take the field and for how long they will play, whether coaches will actually try to win, and so on, many observers have questioned the ethics of preseason betting markets.
This raises a key question: Are NFL preseason betting markets predatory, and if so, does participation in these markets signal a potential gambling problem? This article will explore that issue.
Why Sportsbooks Offer Preseason Bets
The league is the most popular sport for gambling in the U.S. It’s when many online sportsbooks acquire the bulk of their new customers and see the return of dormant ones.
The NFL betting season kicks off in September, but the preseason begins each year in August. Many football fans can’t get enough of the sport, so they watch these practice games.
Betting platforms offer odds on preseason games to profit from this obsession with the NFL.
What NFL Preseason Bettors Say
Let’s look at what some people have said recently on X (formerly Twitter).
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“Betting on NFL preseason games not knowing who will play/not play and for how long if they do shows that people have an addiction,” one football fan said.
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“If you’re betting on preseason games, you need help. Like actually, you legitimately are addicted and need to get help to break the addiction,” another said.
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“If you’re gambling on preseason games you have a problem,” another fan said.
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Another said: “If you bet on preseason games you are, definitionally, a problem gambler.”
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“Speaking as someone who loves watching and gambling on football—watching preseason indicates you have an issue, gambling on it suggests you shouldn’t be trusted with a bank account,” said another.
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“People who bet on the preseason have already given up on caring about anything meaningful in their life and are clearly chasing the dragon,” one person said bluntly.
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“Old friend used to say the line marking a gambling problem is whether you bet on the NFL preseason,” another person commented.
There are countless other comments expressing similar concern about NFL preseason betting.
What should we make of the widespread opinion that betting preseason games is ominous? The stakes could be high for many fans, as a 2024 study found that two-thirds of NFL bettors have problems.
NFL Problem Gambling Unclear
While many jokes suggest that betting on the NFL preseason is a sure sign of a gambling problem, this is not always the case. The relationship between preseason betting and problem gambling is more nuanced.
It is possible to bet on the NFL preseason without harm, just like betting on the Super Bowl coin toss. Nonetheless, there is some truth to the idea that wagering on these games could be a warning sign for some diehard football fans.
A hallmark of a gambling problem is a preoccupation with gambling.
For example, it could be an issue if an NFL fan anticipates the start of regular-season betting with such intensity that they end up betting on preseason games without any reliable insights into what will happen on the field.
While it’s true that it’s harder to predict the result of a preseason game, regular-season betting is also a crapshoot. Gambling during the regular season can also be very problematic.
Can You Win Betting on NFL Preseason?
While it’s possible to make money from sports gambling, nearly all bettors lose in the long run. Americans lost an estimated $3.5 billion on the NFL in 2024.
NFL betting markets are very efficient, which means that any publicly available information has already been factored into the betting line.
There is no edge to be found, and so you will lose money in the long run betting on the NFL. Only access to insider information could help you win.
Regardless of whether it’s the preseason or regular season, the sportsbook always makes money from the gambling public, and your individual chances of winning are remote.
Because bettors lose over the long run, some fans think the NFL is rigged to the benefit of gambling firms.
