Professional wrestling has become a worldwide phenomenon. The most famous promotion being the WWE which has been present for years. It was formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Throughout the years, they have grown exponentially, with millions of fans continuing to support them.
The WWE has produced many other brands under their umbrella. There is RAW, Smackdown, NXT, and the former ECW. This kind of entertainment has been very popular since the early 70s. It was part of everyone’s childhood, and it shaped the pop culture that people grew up with.
WWE superstars have been very prominent figures in the media. They even transcend the professional wrestling scene and are seen in other stages. People like John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson have made a name for themselves on the big screen.
The biggest tell-all was in 1989 where it was revealed that the wrestling matches were scripted. It was all an elaborate show for entertainment, thus the switch from the WWF to the WWE. The fans remained loyal, though, as they continued to enjoy the high-flying and death-defying performances by the WWE athletes.
Given this information, how does betting on professional wrestling exist? If it is scripted and the winners are decided before the match even starts, how does it work? Why is there a market for it? Continue reading to know more about it. However popular the WWE franchise is, betting on wrestling is nowhere near as popular as boxing, or even online UFC betting.
Why is WWE Betting Legal?
The WWE is staged, and the results are pre-determined. However, only a handful of individuals know the outcome. The majority or even 100% of the general public and fans don’t know what will happen, so there is still a market for betting because of uncertainty during the matches.
Betting on WWE matches isn’t any different from other sports (just a little bit unusual). There is usually a favorite and a dark horse, and there are still odds in play. The slight difference with WWE betting is that there is a limit to the amount of money a patron can place on a bet. But the limit set is usually pretty high, so there is no worry of not winning big bucks.
Bookmakers do this because, unlike in other sports, there is a risk in the WWE. The risk is that the information on who will win a certain match can be leaked. That is always a possibility in this case.
Benefits Of WWE Betting
You may wonder why anyone would bet on the WWE of all things when there are other things to bet on. Why would they risk money on what isn’t “real” and has predetermined results?
Good Money
Even after exposing the secrets of professional wrestling, millions of people still enjoy the sport. WWE matches are still capable of selling out arenas every night. Special events like Summer Slam, Royal Rumble, and Wrestlemania are almost treated as high holidays. It is as big as the NBA finals or the Super Bowl.
Even if bookmakers limit the amount people can bet, there is still money to be made. The sheer amount of people who bet on the WWE are a lot. Sometimes, there are bad lines created by a few bookmakers. If those can be taken advantage of, big bucks are in store.
It is Fun To Watch
For individuals who don’t mind letting their childlike sense of wonder run for a few hours, the WWE can be fun to watch. Granted that everything is mostly fake, there’s still awe in seeing a wrestler backflip into a person on a table. It is even better when seen live.
Betting makes many things more fun to watch. You might have even bet on who will die next on Game Of Thrones or would win World’s Strongest Man. Incorporate betting on a fun sport to watch as it is, and the excitement is doubled.
Smaller Risk
Since betting on WWE matches usually has a limit, there is limited risk. So if people get a little too liquored up when making a bet, it won’t be too bad. The limits that are set will keep them in check and help them dodge a bullet.
Popular Types Of WWE Bets
There are three present brands under the WWE. Raw, Smackdown, and NXT. These brands have over 13 championship titles between them, both in the men’s and women’s divisions. Furthermore, around ten different special events are also held annually. Wrestlemania is the biggest of them all.
There are a lot of ways people can bet on WWE matches, win-loss being the most straightforward. Other types are the following:
- First Time Winner – For Wrestlers who have never won before
- Longest Ring Time – Bet on a wrestler that spent the most time in the ring during a match.
- Appearance Bets – Bet on who would appear first during the show.
- Elimination Bets – Bet on who would lose first (famous during Royal Rumble)
- Bout Outcome Bets – Bet on how the victor will win (via pin, submission, DQ, etc.)
WWE is just as popular a sport as any other with a loyal and massive fanbase. There is a thing to be said about anything with millions of followers and a worldwide stage. It is that it can make a lot of money.