The Gambling industry welcomes fans of all sports and inclinations unless you’re a minor. In today’s world, sports betting sites are everywhere, in TV commercials, sponsorships, and smartphones. The internet has allowed the industry to grow exponentially, leaving behind its previously brick-and-mortar approach for a digital one. Yet, despite its broad reach, one generation has stood out from the rest in the population of sports bettors worldwide.
Millennials and Sports Betting
‘Millennials’ is a term that describes the generation of people born between the 1980s to the mid-1990s. This group of persons is also known as Generation Y and has one determining factor. The internet. The Millennials witnessed firsthand digital technology and the web while growing up, making them more conversant with the internet and technology than other generations before them.
The timing of the birth of millennials is also an integral factor in the generation’s peculiarity. The 1980 and early 1990s were a period of increased sports coverage with more games and matches broadcast live on television. Sports fans no longer had to travel several miles to watch a game or miss out on it because they couldn’t afford tickets. Live broadcasts meant fans could watch the games at home or at viewing locations nearest to them while increasing their chances of multiplying their funds on betting sites Philippines.
This growing culture soon found its way into parenting and family life as kids watched games with their parents, cultivated a love for the game, and created their sense of sporting identity. From picking teams based on the colors of their jersey to liking a particular athlete, bonds began to form in the minds of millennial kids and sports teams.
A survey by top auditing firm Deloitte Global also found that Millennials are more likely to place bets than other generations. According to the study, this is due to the increased broadcast of games on TV, safe online betting sites, and other streaming websites. Deloitte confirms that the majority of sports bettors in the United States are between the ages of 19-34, which tilts towards a steady amount of millennial participation.
Our guest author Evelyn Balyton, whose profile you can view here, takes a look at the relationship between millennials and sports betting.
Why Sports Betting Is Popular Among Millennials
- Legalized Sports Betting: Back in the day, sports betting was banned in most states and countries worldwide. However, the late 2000s saw many countries begin to legalize sports betting. The legalization came at an integral point in internet and smartphone adoption by millennials. Consequently, it was easy for this generation to marry digital technology with their love for sports.
As sports betting companies obtained licenses worldwide, they noticed millennials were busy with no time to walk into physical stores to place bets. Given that bookmakers could not take bets at stadiums and game centers, sports betting companies realized the solution lay in smartphones and computers, which millennials already spent lots of time on.
2. Passion for sports: The passion for sports held by older generations was successfully passed down to the millennials. A cursory look at ticket prices and stadium attendance numbers across soccer, baseball, and American football shows the extent to which sports fans are willing to go to watch their teams play live. Where the cost of watching the games live is not affordable, fans can be seen streaming the games online on betting sites Philippines or packed full at bars and other game viewing centers to support their teams.
3. Convenience: Aside from their love for sports, sports betting is so popular among millennials because of its convenience. The legalization of sports betting by different countries led to many safe online betting sites being established.
Millennials can now place bets from their homes, offices, and even on lunch breaks via smartphones and computers. This meets you halfway approach by bookmakers has helped to create more gaming avenues without the stress of visiting brick-and-mortar betting shops.
4. Extra Source of Income: As much as we love sports, betting only brings a thrill when you’re winning money. Like you and I, millennials are in sports betting, hoping to win big and multiply their income. Sports betting offers a fun way for millennials to make extra money outside what their primary employment provides. It is quite fun watching your favorite teams win, especially when it puts extra cash in your account.
5. Risk Appetite: Millennials are also more than likely to take risks than generations older than them. This is due to a median age that allows them more time to work and build for the future than their parents. The ability to take risks is just one of the sports betting behaviors that bettors show, and millennials have lots of that. Additionally, millennials also outnumber most generations in sports betting because of the strength in the generation’s numbers. Plus, most individuals who fall into Gen Z are too young to place bets in many countries.
The millennial population is an integral aspect of the sports betting industry. Safety online betting sites have helped bridge the gap between passion for sports and the desire to make money legally.