Athlete Perspectives on Sports Betting: Friend or Foe?

Today, we're going to be looking at the positive and negative impact of sports betting on athletes from their point of view. 

You might assume that sports betting has nothing but positive connotations for athletes, but as with anything in life there are some downsides to the industry. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of sports betting and how it affects athletes.

Positive Impacts of Sports Betting on Athletes 

First off, let’s explore how betting on sports can have a great impact on athletes and their careers. 

Increased exposure

Any career that involves being in the public eye usually means you want as much exposure as possible. Popular athletes have people betting on them more often, which leads to more fans, more support and, ultimately, more exposure. 

This in turn can lead to new deals and contracts for popular athletes, as sports bettors propel them to the top of their career.

Potential for increased earnings 

Hand in hand with increased exposure is the potential to earn more money. Sports betting has always had a huge impact on athletes and their salaries. Just look at footballers in the English Premier league! With the hype surrounding the female team, the Lionesses, in the recent World Cup, female athletes are starting to close the pay gap with their male counterparts due to increased exposure.

Negative Impacts of Sports Betting on Athletes

Of course, betting on sports doesn’t always mean big salaries and a larger fanbase for athletes. There are some potential downsides, too. 

Increased pressure to perform

Being thrust into the limelight can add a lot of extra pressure to athletes when it comes to their performance. With an important match or event coming up, the last thing an athlete needs is pressure from punters who have money riding on the final result. 

A good example of how this pressure can have negative effects is female tennis player Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open in 2021, citing mental health issues as the primary reason for her withdrawal. 

It's important to remember that athletes are human beings too, so additional pressure may lead to mental health problems.

Risk of illegal activity 

Sports betting has a dark side. Criminals have always moved around in the shadows, and match fixing is a problem that the industry has suffered for decades. 

Unfortunately, for an athlete that is ‘flavour of the week’, this can lead to unwanted attention from individuals that may pressure them to help change the outcome of a match or event.