Snooker. Alpine skiing. Table tennis. Badminton. These are some of the sports that are available for wagering right now online. Seriously, snooker? I’m sure it’s a great time but I’d never even heard of it before it was referenced by Ted Lasso.
Notably absent from this seemingly never-ending list of options is track and field…and the World Indoor Championships starts today! Track lends itself very well to wagering, as dozens of events take place during any given day of a track meet. You could bet on runners to win a race, finish top 3, head-to-head against another runner, over/under times, whether the US 4×1 team will drop the baton and countless other possibilities.
Maybe I’m biased as I am literally writing on a track and field forum, but what’s the holdup?
Over the last couple decades of being a track fan one question continues to pop up–what does track have to do to grow its sport and enter the mainstream in the US? With sports gambling being legalized around the country, why isn’t gambling mentioned as a possible way of getting more people interested in the sport? Olympic wagering was approved in 2016, which led to some limited wagering on track during the past two Olympics and World Championship events.
This was a good start, but we can do so much more than three meets every four years. I am not expecting or suggesting that every meet in every corner of the world should have wagering available, but the Diamond League would be a great place to add more options for gambling. That is 14 high level meets from May – September with huge names and good followings. Throw in US Championships and a couple other high profile meets, and you can have betting on track and field on a consistent basis throughout the season. I know, realistically, this won’t magically grow track and field into a mainstream sport along the lines of the NFL, NBA or soccer. Track and field is a niche sport, and that’s ok!
But why limit yourself and your fanbase and the opportunity to grow within your sport and reach to people who like to bet on things? I mean, who wouldn’t want to bet on Ryan Crouser or Athing Mu or put in a 3-team parlay on Sifan Hassan to win the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m?
Sports betting is expanding like crazy in the US, with already over half of states accepting wagers either online or in person and several more are pending. If track started accepting wagers during Diamond Leagues and other large sporting events, working the odds and terminology into the broadcast would be a great way to start. Most of the public knows what 2-1 means but are clueless when the odds say -150 or +325.
Odds are also a good way to add to the narrative of the race. Last year, Clayton Murphy would have been a relative long shot to win the 800m at the Olympic Trials, but someone who doesn’t follow the sport as closely wouldn’t have that context. But, if before the race we see that Murphy is listed 8/1 (made up odds, but you get my point), it’s immediately recognizable that, wow that’s a pretty big upset.
Having wagering available at the venue could also be a huge opportunity to get the fanbase involved. Sports books have already started to pop up at different NBA, NHL and MLB venues not to mention at track venues in Europe, so having the ability to bet at the Prefontaine Classic or sign up for an app to bet from your phone is an easy sell. Once you get your own fans on board then you start looking at more opportunities for growth and partnerships with the big betting platforms.
I know it’s not as easy as USATF or World Athletics just snapping their fingers and say, ok now you can bet on everything, but the sports betting world is growing rapidly in the US, and track should try to get on board. What do they have to lose?
