Wrestling is becoming the sportsbook book, literally, through smart sponsorships, event promotions and fighter endorsements. Here’s how the gaming industry is suplexing its way to suplex city.
If you’ve been watching wrestling lately and notice that you’ve seen more sports betting logos on turnbuckles, banners or tights, you’re not imagining things. There has been a very real change in how professional wrestling is being promoted and financed, and the businesses involved with sports betting online are at the forefront of it.
From subsidizing independent shows to slapping their logo onto the gear of A-list performers, online gaming sites are jumping headfirst into the squared circle. While combat sports like boxing and MMA have long been rooted in betting pools, professional wrestling, with its scripted nature, has only just recently come onto the radar of bookmakers. And they’re betting big.
The emergence of wrestling sponsorships from betting websites
In recent years, the boundaries between professional wrestling entertainment and actual competition have faded. With social media driving real-time fan sentiment and kayfabe giving way to brand development, wrestling has become rich territory for advertisers, and bookmakers are paying attention.
Take BetSlam, for example, one of the more well-known online books dedicated to online sports betting. They offer odds on nearly everything from the UFC to tennis, but they’ve most recently ventured into wrestling by sponsoring several up-and-coming promotions in the U.S. and U.K. Pay-per-view banner ads have grown into full-fledged deals with fighters and even title sponsorships.
Independent shows, which usually are flying on shoestring budgets, are embracing this new source of revenue. To them, a sponsorship agreement from a gaming operator might translate into nicer arenas, improved production or the capability to sign more recognizable fighters.
Fighters cashing in: Betting logos on ring gear
It’s not just the promotions being in on the secret, wrestlers themselves are cutting deals too. Some are showing up in branded clothing, making sponsored content or even signing meet-and-greets for events held by sportsbooks.
One such example is that of Marcus “The Mauler” King, a young indie star who has recently signed up with an online bookmaker to support their wrestling books. This type of affiliation is increasingly common, especially now that wrestlers are looking to establish independent labels outside of the large leagues like WWE or AEW. To the former freelancers-turned-athletes, extra income from sponsorship could be the room that prevents them from going over the edge and staying on the grind.
Mainstream promotions testing the waters
While the indies have welcomed their arms to sportsbook sponsors, bigger players are now starting to take a toe in the water as well, though more gingerly.
AEW (All Elite Wrestling), for instance, has included bet odds segments on several of their PPV builds, and there have been discussions amongst fans regarding sportsbooks offering betting lines on big wrestling shows to appear on websites. Although the outcomes are pre-planned, sportsbooks are becoming creative in offering markets like predicting the length of a match, number of finishers or first weapon used in a hardcore match.
This might seem odd to outsiders, but in the world of prop betting, creativity rules. And wrestling fans? They’re amongst the most passionate and detail-focused fans around. If fantasy football leagues are intense, wait till you’ve met a wrestling fan able to rattle off the previous five wrestlers to have kicked out of a Canadian Destroyer.
The moral gray area: Bets on a scripted sport
Here is the difficult part. As opposed to MMA or football, wrestling is a scripted sport. The outcome is determined before it happens. So, how can there be betting?
Most of those providing wrestling bets are structuring their bets in a more entertainment prop manner. Rather than wagering on who is going to win, you would bet on what a plot will unfold, who will turn heel next, or which legend will emerge for the big show.
To combat ethical concerns, reputable sportsbooks usually have small bet limits on wrestling markets, or employ algorithmic odds based on fan sentiment and leaks. However, critics argue that the gambling element could lead to leaks, manipulation in the locker room, or intimidation of writers and performers.
The future: Betting and wrestling hand in hand?
As legalized sports betting continues to spill over into additional U.S. states, this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Online sportsbooks are competing with one another for market share, and battling with its demented fan base and never-ending storytelling turns is an untapped gold mine.
There’s even whispers of a possible crossover event in the works, half wrestling supercard, half sports betting convention, with matches you can wager on (in small, regulated amounts). Whether or not that occurs, this much is true: The world of wrestling is evolving, and betting operators are anything but spectators.
Sponsorships aren’t a fad. They’re a sign that wrestling is no longer just about slams and storylines, it’s a business environment, and everyone’s coming in on the gravy train.
What this means for fans and wrestlers
So, what does it all mean to the average wrestling fan? Short-term, it could mean bigger shows, bigger production and more chances for your indie darlings to pop. For fighters, it’s a chance to receive financial backing in a sport where the idea of stability is often an illusion. And for online sportsbooks, it’s a forward-looking way to tap into one of the sports entertainment universe’s most loyal fan bases.
Of course, with any marriage of entertainment and cash, there’s always the risk that things are going to get muddy. But for now, it seems that wrestling and online sports wagering are learning to tango together, one powerbomb at a time.
