How Boxing And The Gambling Industry Are Intertwined

Boxing is one of the most popular combat sports in the world, with fans from around the globe tuning in to see some of the toughest fighters on the planet duke out it and determine who’s the better fighter.

Another popular past-time that often goes alongside boxing is gambling. That includes placing money on contests between the valiant men and, in later years, women who are stepping in the ring both to fight their way to championship glory and to earn a purse.

As it’s plain to see, there’s a link between boxing and gambling. Below is an exploration of this link, looking at the natural relationship between the two activities and some of the similarities between them.

Boxing and betting go back a long way

Boxing was a sport even during Roman times and was a brutal affair in which the boxers wore a metal-studded, leather hand called a cestus. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the popularity of the sport dwindled.

In the 18th century, the sport bounced back, this time in the form of bare-knuckle contests in London. The fighters would fight for money and the punters would lay their own money down on the fights. So there has long been a connection between boxing and betting.

Similarities between boxing and betting

Perhaps one of the most obvious links between the two activities is that boxing is a form of entertainment and so is betting, even table games such as blackjack. The two go hand in hand and there’s often a lot of hype around big events. Betting on a fight can even help to make a contest more exciting when the big day finally arrives and the two combatants get it on.

Casinos host boxing events

The next big link, especially in the modern era, has been the choice of venues for what have been some of the biggest boxing events on the planet. Casinos in Las Vegas, the casino capital of the world, have realised the popularity of boxing and offered themselves as venues for heavyweight tear-ups. One such event was the infamous ‘Bite Fight’ between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson, which took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Fans have been able to combine their passion for boxing with a love of betting, enjoying the show and, hopefully, placing their money correctly on the outcome at the same time. In terms of other big names to have fought in the past, Larry Holmes has also fought in casinos… several times, in fact.

There’s glamour around both

Don’t forget that casinos bring even more glamour to big match-ups. If two titans are going to meet in the ring, they want a major stage to do it on. There’s an element of showbiz about the proceedings and casinos provide the glitz and the glamour to set the stage perfectly for the battle to commence. The right casino can create an intensity, and the greater the stage, the longer people are likely to talk about the event.

Extra revenue

Casinos, just like any other business, want to increase their revenue whenever they can. Hosting boxing events and generally allowing punters, whether attending a boxing event at the casino or otherwise, has enabled them to generate extra revenue. Some events are so big that even people who never wager on sports simply can’t resist laying down some money. The Grand National is one example of an event in which non-followers of a sport bet, when normally they wouldn’t.

This addition to their offering can also help them attract fans who have never played casino games before.

Range of bets

If a bettor wants to stay traditional, they can bet on who will be the winner. If they want to mix things up and add some excitement to their bet, they may choose to bet on the nature of the result. Will it be a technical knockout? Will it be a straight knockout? Will it be a judges’ decision?

Expectation

Betting has become such a common part of boxing now that consumers have come to expect it. If a punter visits a sportsbook online, they expect to be able to place a wager on a fight. Online sports betting operators know this and realise that if they don’t have this feature, they can very easily lose a lot of customers. It is important to make sure you are gambling at a licensed sportsbook or casino so that you dont lose your money. Check this useful guide on how to spot and avoid scammy casinos and online slots.

Technology

The technology used to make an online casino run makes betting on boxing so much more accessible now. Fans and bettors no longer have to visit a brick-and-mortar bookmaker or buy tickets to the venue to follow their bet. They can log into their account online and capture the action as it progresses, and even engage in some live betting if they’ve not had the chance to lay some money down beforehand. If they do have some time to think about who will win the big clash, they can also check the odds online, compare sites and go with the operator who gives them the best odds.

Boxing has been around a long time, as has the practice of trying to predict who will win the contest and betting on the outcome. Whenever there’s a big fight, there’s a lot of interest in who will win and casinos have tried to capitalise on the glamour around fights by offering themselves up as a venue for the bouts. Doing so can boost their revenue and help them to capture new customers.