As the National Basketball Association prepares to tip off the 2021-22 season tonight, a new study found those who bet on basketball are “wired differently” than those who wager on other sports.
The Inaugural Pickswise Annual Sports Bettor Survey was conducted by Beacon Research this summer. It was commissioned by Pickswise, a US digital platform for free betting analysis and advice.
The comprehensive study included 1,500 self-identified US sports bettors residing in states with legal sports betting.
Football remains the most popular sport to bet on with 73% of survey respondents saying they bet on the sport. Basketball was second with 62%.
The study’s authors said the data showed basketball bettors are “highly engaged” and take a “more serious approach’ compared to those who bet on other sports. Hoops bettors as a group are more interested in winning as a primary motivation and more comprehensive in their preparation and execution in order to realize a profit.
Among basketball bettors, inclusive of those who bet on college and professional games, 73% say winning is a major reason they bet, while 43% say winning money is their most important reason, compared to 67% and 36%, respectively, to those who do not bet on basketball.
Basketball bettors place wagers more frequently, with 77% reporting they bet weekly, compared to 56% of non-basketball bettors, and 35% average more than $100 per bet vs. 28% of those who don’t bet on basketball.
Some specific differences in basketball bettors compared to other bettors include several indicators basketball bettors spend more time and effort preparing to make their wagers. For example, 33% spend more than 2 hours per week on research and analysis, compared to 26% of non-basketball bettors. Hoops bettors are more are interested in betting insights and analysis (83% vs 76%), more are likely to research bets (83% vs 77%), and 61% view video insights and analysis vs 48% of other sports bettors.
Basketball bettors also play more angles, the study found. They are twice as likely to say getting the best odds is important when choosing a sportsbook (20% vs 11%), and they are more likely to have several betting accounts – 40% have three or more US-based accounts, compared to 26% of those who don’t bet on basketball.
The study found basketball bettors also are different demographically, as they are more likely to be male (78% vs 69%), more likely to be under age 45 (81% vs 73%), slightly more likely to be single (37% vs 33%), and more likely to be Black (17% vs 10%).
“As legal sports betting continues to expand across the US, it is becoming increasingly clear that betting profiles vary by sport,” Dan Pozner, VP of Content for Spotlight Sports Group, which owns Pickswise, said in a statement. “Fans are highly engaged across a number of sports, but those with interest in basketball stand alone with a uniquely diligent approach.”
