Is NFL Preseason Betting A Sign Of Problem Gambling?
The NFL is by far the most popular sport for gambling in the United States. It’s when most online sportsbooks acquire the bulk of their new customers and see the return of dormant gamblers.
The NFL 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.
Sports betting platforms offer odds on preseason games to make money off this obsession with the NFL. With so much uncertainty around which players will take the field and for how long they will play, whether coaches will even try to win, and so on, many observers have questioned the ethics of NFL preseason betting products and markets.
To put it differently: Are NFL preseason betting markets predatory, and, if so, is betting on NFL preseason games a potential sign of a gambling problem?
Let’s take a look at what some people have said recently on X (formerly Twitter).
“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.
“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.
“If you’re gambling on preseason games you have a problem,” another fan said.
Another said: “If you bet on preseason games you are, definitionally, a problem gambler.”
“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.
“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.
“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?
Not So Clear Cut
It may be tempting to say in a tongue-in-cheek tone that betting on the NFL preseason is a sign of a gambling problem. However, it’s not necessarily the case.
It is possible to place bets on the NFL preseason not because of an addiction and not as part of a developing gambling problem. Still, there is some truth to how wagering on these games could be a warning sign for diehard football fans.
Why? Because a hallmark of a gambling problem is a preoccupation with gambling.
For example: It could be an issue if an NFL fan is anticipating the start of betting on the regular season with such intensity that they find themselves 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.
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.
Image via Pixabay.