What's with all the sports betting ad's...to an extreme

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Petert

I can care less one way or the other, it's your money, spend it however you want, gambling or not. Too many self righteous people as always, stop desperately trying to climb up to that moral high ground by dictating how people entertain themselves with their own money.
Chances are, they will find something else to get addicted at and spend away anyway if it isn't gambling. Remember those good old hockey or whatever sport cards, wannabe-traders?

Like it or not, sports betting is not going away.
As a matter of fact, single betting is the best thing that can happen to Canada, the 3 games minimum was stupid and is actually designed to make you lose by forcing people to get greedy.

Just a few examples, Brazil to advance in the group stage was easy money, Bulls to win was easy money, OTT or SJ to lose was easy money, DET or COL to win was easy money, paid for a lot of my lunches back then. Would actually made more with SS back then if not because of the forced 3 games. Reputable sites like William(Mountain) existed for the longest time.

However, it's very very annoying indeed, being bombard by these ads literally non stop, to the point of cutting in during game feed, can't even avoid these with Mario's site anymore. And Cabbie does it so overboard with such a punchable face isn't helping either.

I have some bad news for you - it is ALL designed for you to lose.

Gamblers will always start with the same refrain: "stick to the easy money bets". Sorry, there are no easy money bets. The payouts are low and the cost of the occasional upset wipes out the gains (and don't argue that isn't the case, it literally is - it is simple math). Did hockey have some weak lines at first? Sure, but quickly rectified, because THAT'S HOW MARKETS WORK - inefficiencies (easy money) attract players, bringing more money, more information, and more expertise, which squeezes out the easy returns. Only fools think they are outsmarting anyone.

Most gamblers will also tell you that they break even over time. No they don't. Why are there so many gambling sites? Because they make HUGE money. The easy money isn't betting on the Bulls, the easy money is being the house. When the spreads are that wide, only the house wins.

I remember when VLTs came out in Manitoba. I was working at an establsihment that had them, and I watched people pump money into them for hours at a time. Every person I ever discussed it with who played them, said they break even. But the government said that 95% of the money that went into the machines stayed in the machines. Ninety five percent. And that is what I saw. I literally never saw anyone leave with cash. they would sit down with rolls or bags of loonies, and they would paly until they had none left. On an unlucky day, that might be 15 minutes. On a good day, they might be able to play for hours. But eventually they ran out of cash.

When the odds are tilted against you, the more you play, the more certain it is that you will lose. It's just math.

Someone brought up Questrade ads (which are also awful)... Questrade's entire sales proposition is lower fees. Lower fees aren't everything, but they do matter. The idea is simple: there is a cost to each transaction, so to be profitable, you have to make enough money to also cover your costs. And the higher those costs are, the more difficult that becomes.

Which brings us back to gambling, where the spreads are not large, they are cavernous. If people want to gamble, knock yourselves out - have fun. But don't pretend - or preach - that there is easy money to be made.

I don't care if people gamble - I enjoy it personally, as a recreation. But I cannot stand all these ads, and I hate what it is doing to sports. I stopped watching NFL when the game became less important than fantasy football. And if this trend continues with hockey, I will probably be done with it as well.

And bombarding children with it is disgusting at best, if not borderline criminal. And yeah, those segments with Gabby are horrific, skin-crawlingly bad. But when the guys like Elliot start talking odds, that is way too far. That has to stop.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Ever have to sit through a bunch of guys talking NFL football? It's just horrendous. Just betting lines, who's starting, what they did last week, who've they've got this week, blah blah blah.

Hopefully the NHL doesn't get to that point, because that's not talking sports, it's the equivalent of a gambler walking you through his upcoming strategy for the casino that night.

The market for following sports in the traditional way is shrinking. So to pro sports leagues, the status quo means inevitable decline. From a business point of view, if the increased engagement from gambling exceeds the audience loss from disgust at gambling, it’s a worthwhile strategy.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Ever have to sit through a bunch of guys talking NFL football? It's just horrendous. Just betting lines, who's starting, what they did last week, who've they've got this week, blah blah blah.

Hopefully the NHL doesn't get to that point, because that's not talking sports, it's the equivalent of a gambler walking you through his upcoming strategy for the casino that night.

Maybe that will ultimately be a more profitable business model for the NHL, but it will have no interest to me. The game is already losing my interest but that sounds just awful.

[Hot_Flatus]

I've had the conversation with a few people from different crowds this playoffs and there seems to be a consensus that the ads are edging on deplorable. If people want to bet that is entirely on them to seek out. Hammering ads like these on every break, for multiple vendors is sickening when you think that countless addicted gamblers are probably jumping onboard by constantly seeing these ads, and it is dragging other vulnerable people into the drain too.

This advertising should be limited to logos or other sponsorships on the in game telecast or in arena areas only. Even if you don't care about the morality, it is still annoying beyond belief.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The market for following sports in the traditional way is shrinking. So to pro sports leagues, the status quo means inevitable decline. From a business point of view, if the increased engagement from gambling exceeds the audience loss from disgust at gambling, it’s a worthwhile strategy.

I don't think the traditional sports fan is at all even close to a minority % of the degenerate gambler that these betting apps are praying on. Possibly people who will dabble occasionally, but even that is unlikely imo.

Sports markets are shrinking because the cost of attending games is getting so out of control that young fans are losing the opportunity to experience live pro sports.

[jayswin]

Yep, every major pro sports league made the same decision regarding future growth - That the best business practice is to maximize revenue at all costs. They bet on the idea that sports fandom was forever, with each new generation.

That wasn't the case. I predicted this years ago, that you have to sacrifice the bottom line to some degree to have the next generation of fans in seats with their parents or friends or you'll be sitting with no new fans one day. But sports teams are sports teams, they made their money when they could and now they'll likely start to feel the pain of maximizing revenue.

[jayswin]

Who knew that making a sports night out $150-$200 including seats, food and drink for any decent seats would lead to this? They've mostly filled those seats with expensive nights out with the last of the generations that go to sports games at that price, and we're going to see a major correction in the coming decades.

[81MC]

I wonder if I’m the supposed decline isn’t the result of increasing awareness and oppostion to ‘nationalism’ (or primordialism or whatever the underlying case might be). Ever get stuck in that group of people who don’t understand that flames fans can’t support the Oilers now?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by 81MC

I wonder if I’m the supposed decline isn’t the result of increasing awareness and oppostion to ‘nationalism’ (or primordialism or whatever the underlying case might be). Ever get stuck in that group of people who don’t understand that flames fans can’t support the Oilers now?

No, that wouldn't even register. There's a laundry list of reasons of why sports fandom is declining. Gaming, esports and watching both has become massive and is a huge drain on pro sports attention for the younger generations.

Along with the aforementioned pricing out of the upcoming generations of potential fans.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Yep, every major pro sports league made the same decision regarding future growth - That the best business practice is to maximize revenue at all costs. They bet on the idea that sports fandom was forever, with each new generation.

That wasn't the case. I predicted this years ago, that you have to sacrifice the bottom line to some degree to have the next generation of fans in seats with their parents or friends or you'll be sitting with no new fans one day. But sports teams are sports teams, they made their money when they could and now they'll likely start to feel the pain of maximizing revenue.

I would guess they're also too dependent upon legacy content distribution deals. Content producing events businesses like the NHL are ideal for innovating by developing new revenue streams with improved digital content delivery and pushing digital innovations such as streaming live events via VR, but they're not even doing the basics of digital content distribution very well at present. I would guess their existing content distribution models won't even allow it and they're unwilling to cannibalize existing business lines, but if watching the game on YouTube with Steve Dangle seems innovative to them, they're already a decade behind where youth content consumers are headed. More dynamic, immersive and inclusive experiences such as e-sports will continue growing and taking away attention.

That said, as long as youth participation in the sport is strong there will always be demand, and hopefully youth participation does stay strong and grow because even if the NHL sucks playing the actual sport is something great, whether as part of a team, as pickup on a rink/pond, as floor hockey in school, or as street hockey in the summer. All those experiences of it that are joyful without need of any tech or gambling.

On the other hand, it's really sad to think that the league could ultimately head in a direction of cultivating the sport among youth as part of creating a long-term funnel into adult sports gambling. What a cynical business model that could be.

[GirlySports]

The commercials are funny, like bettors never betted outside of sports select. Introducing PROPS! LIVE BETTING! OMG!!

[Dodsdomd]

a Sportsnet spokesperson said, "We recognize that sports betting content and advertising represents a change for audiences and we are being thoughtful about the volume and content of the commercial inventory that we are allotting to sports betting partners to ensure we continue to offer a quality viewing experience."


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...tion-1.6474504


Oh thoughtful alright.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Dodsdomd

a Sportsnet spokesperson said, "We recognize that sports betting content and advertising represents a change for audiences and we are being thoughtful about the volume and content of the commercial inventory that we are allotting to sports betting partners to ensure we continue to offer a quality viewing experience."


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saska...tion-1.6474504


Oh thoughtful alright.

Translation: these companies are making money hand over fist and believe it or not they are ready and willing to pay for even more ad time.

[Northendzone]

i am thinking of losing weight while i stand in line at KFC waiting to place my order