How Are Boxing and Gambling Linked?

For decades, boxing and gambling have been linked together.

Back in the old days, people would attend small-scale boxing events across Europe and America to place bets on local fighters. It was a fun, niche hobby for hard-working individuals.

Now, though, both gambling and boxing have exploded in worldwide popularity.

Boxing pay-per-views (PPVs) command millions of dollars each year. For example, who could forget when the Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield II fights earnt $100.2 million from 1.99 million PPV buys.

At these PPVs, gambling has unsurprisingly become a huge part of the fun. Let’s take a look at this relationship in closer detail.

Casinos are Often Present at Boxing Events

Often, when big boxing events are held at arenas and iconic hotels, it’s common for casinos to be there.

Take the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There’s a casino there that thousands of people will use when there’s a fight in town.

When people visit Vegas from overseas for a boxing fight, it’s almost a guarantee that they will go to the MGM Grand or another nearby casino. It’s all a part of the experience. If you can’t make it to Las Vegas anytime soon, don’t worry. Instead, you can play casino games online casino USA. The experience is just as fun, and the games are perfect for boxing fans around the world.

People Love to Bet on Boxing Fights

Whenever there’s a huge mainstream boxing fight, people will place a crazy number of bets on it.

When it was announced that Floyd Mayweather would face Logan Paul in an exhibition fight back in 2021, Twitter went nuts with people talking about the bets they would place.

KEEMSTAR, the popular YouTuber, tweeted:

I’m going to bet $1000 that Logan Paul beats Floyd Mayweather!

Do not ask me why. I’m just doing it!

It was a hot topic of discussion on social media, and people were loving the buzz around it.

Essentially, whenever a big boxing fight happens, gambling becomes a huge part of the discussion in the build-up to the fight. It’s embedded in boxing culture, and this will likely never change.

Fighters Enjoy Betting on Fights, Too

Throughout history, there have been many cases when professional boxes have bet on their own fights. Usually, they will bet that they’re going to win.

For example, before Floyd Mayweather faced Connor McGregor in 2017, he allegedly bet millions of dollars that he would win the fight by knockout. However, there are rumors that Mayweather was stopped from doing this, but nobody knows for certain what happened.

It is legal for boxers to bet on themselves across most events. However, it’s illegal to do this at the Olympics!

Boxing and Gambling are the Perfect Social Combination

When people go out with friends, they want to have a good time. For boxing fans, boxing and gambling go together perfectly. They make you more engaged in the fight and allow for friendly banter amongst friends who might have bet on different outcomes.