Where to Bet on Wrestling
Toots Mondt and Jess McMahon probably didn’t think that the WWE would be as big as it is right now when they founded it back in 1952. Initially called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the promotion would go on to become a household name in the 80s as the World Wrestling Federation. From that point on, this popularity just kept on growing. In fact, the promotion even went on to grow even more even if it was forced to change its name to the WWE.
Now, the WWE has never promoted itself as a sport. The promotion has branded itself as an entertainment outfit instead. While it has featured athletes, the matches the promotion holds all follow a script. Surprisingly though, there are punters and even bookmakers who still bet on and put up odds for these matches respectively. A big reason for this is that while the results of a match might be predetermined, there are relatively few people who have knowledge of these outcomes.
Is Betting on Pro Wrestling Safe?
Considering the fact that its matches are scripted, no one should bother betting on pro wrestling right? Surprisingly, there are a lot of punters wagering on pro wrestling matches. Though not all, sportsbooks actually offer odds for wrestling matches albeit limiting the amount to be won. Of course, this is to mitigate any leak or information that might come out pertaining to the matches’ results. As a result of sportsbooks’ limiting the action on the odds for these matches, the amount that players might end up losing is also going to be minimal. This means that compared with other sports or sporting events, betting on wrestling isn’t going to make as much of a hit on your finances.
Of course, like with any gambling or betting activity, players should still be careful. Specifically, players should be wary about the sportsbooks that they’re wagering on. There are a host of problems that players will come across if they do end up registering with a less than reliable sportsbook. These include identity theft, less than stellar odds, and an overall bad betting experience (more on this later). Checkout wheretobet.net for where to bet on pro wrestling online.
What To Consider When Betting On Wrestling
Before you go ahead and bet on the next WWE PPV, it’s important that you consider a couple of things first. There’s more to betting on wrestling than just picking the more popular wrestler or the one that has the better odds. If you want to get the most value for your bets then you’d do well to approach any bet on wrestling matches unlike regular sports bets.
Wrestling and its Storylines
At its core, Pro Wrestling has a lot in common with an action or drama series on primetime TV. A promotion like the WWE will advance a storyline in between pay per views through weekly shows like Raw, NXT, and Smackdown. The pay per views (as well as events like the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania) then provide resolutions for these storylines. In some cases, promotions can also opt to continue a storyline through PPVs. This is particularly true for rivalries between a promotion’s top baby face and its heels. In the WWE, these rivalries often culminate in Wrestlemania.
Why is this important though? As far as we know, people who run these promotions are humans just like us. They have their own patterns and go-to events to embellish the storylines they present to their viewers. A good example of this is the Undertaker’s Wrestlemania streak. Prior to his defeat by Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker was unbeatable in the annual event. With that said, it’s not like he dominated all the lead up events to every Wrestlemania that he won. In fact, there were times when he lost during those events only to win it all at ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All’. So by following current and previous storylines as well as tracking how wrestlers have fared, players should have an idea of how a match might play out.
Don’t Limit Yourself to the WWE
While it is without a doubt the top wrestling promotion today, the WWE isn’t necessarily the best. A lot of hardcore wrestling fans have the opinion that the promotion has been in decline for a while now. If you checked Dave Meltzer’s (pro wrestling journalist and historian) list of pro wrestling matches rated 5 stars in the last decade, you’d find the WWE has produced only 8. In contrast, the NJPW has the same number of matches with 5 star ratings in 2017 alone.
The NJPW or New Japan Pro Wrestling is perhaps one of the best promotions to watch these days. The promotion has a history that rivals that of the WWE and has largely been untouched by the things (unexciting storylines and unappealing wrestlers just to name few) that ail its US counterpart these days. Thankfully, a lot of prominent sportsbooks now also cover odds for the Japan-based promotion. This is likely due to the growing popularity the promotion’s events have. Wrestlers like Kenny Omega and Tetsuya Naito have provided memorable 5-star matches for the promotions events in the last half decade.
In addition to NJPW, players can also check out odds for All Elite Wrestling or AEW. While relatively new, the upstart promotion has gotten a lot of press for its focus on “inclusion and diversity”. Started by entrepreneur Shahid Khan (along with his son, Tony), the promotion has a roster that features a mix of NJPW, WWE, and new talents. These include Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Cody and Dustin Rhodes, Nyla Rose, and Angelico (Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide) among others.
Punters should note though that while they might be different from WWE, these promotions operate in the same manner when it comes to advancing storylines. Hence, players should still make sure that they follow current and past storylines (if there are any) before they decide to bet on a match.
Odds Might Not Be The Best
Arguably the most important consideration that any player might have when betting on wrestling is the odds. Remember that while matches might feature athletes, pro wrestling is still more entertainment than sport. Thanks to this, a player who wants to bet on a wrestling match/matches should expect the odds skewed more in favor of the bookie. It’s not unusual to see wrestler A get -110 and wrestler B to have -130 even though they’re in the same match.
Another reason for these odds is the fact that not all matches can result in a win or loss. To spice up storylines, promotions make use of dirty finishes that add a lot of entertainment value. In turn though, this could result in a loss for players regardless of who they bet on winning. For this reason, it’s all the more important for a punter to always mind the storylines. Dirty finishes aren’t necessarily random and most promotions typically don’t employ these on major events like the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
Sportsbooks that Accept Bets on Wrestling
Thankfully, our research team already has a list of notable (and reputable) sportsbooks that have odds and accept bets on wretling matches.
SkyBet
If they’re in the United Kingdom and want a sportsbook that features bets on wrestling then players should check out SkyBet. The sportsbook and online casino brand has been around for a while and is mainly targeted at the UK market. Thanks to this, players can expect to wager on a lot of the PPV matches that the WWE regularly cooks up. As of this writing, the sportsbook offers outright odds for a ladder match between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon as well as for winners in the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble (2020). As for Wrestlemania 36, the sportsbook currently has odds for the Main Event. Matchups that players can wager on include (but isn’t limited to) Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins (8/1), Roman Reigns versus The Rock (10/1), and Roman Reigns versus Braun Strowman (14/1). It should be noted though that the sportsbook is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and punters might not be able to access the site outside of the United Kingdom.
Just keep in mind this site no longer recommends SkyBet.
Betfair
Much like SkyBet, Betfair is another brand that has already established itself in the last couple of years. Unlike SkyBet though, the brand typically will only offer odds on more popular wrestling events. Examples of events that the brand will cover include WrestleMania and possibly the Royal Rumble. Aside from the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority, the brand also has licenses from the Danish Gambling Authority, Sweden’s Spelinspektionen, Italy’s Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli, and Romania’s Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc.
Unibet
Players looking for a sportsbook that offers odds other than for WWE matches/events might want to check out Unibet. As of this writing, the brand offers odds covering events from the AEW and NJPW. As of this writing, the AEW will have its upcoming Dynamite program (a possible challenge to WWE’s Raw and Smackdown) to feature a lineup of matches that include Cody versus Sammy Guevara, Hangman Page vs PAC, Kenny Omega & The Young Turks vs Chris Jericho & 2 Mystery Partners, MJF vs Brandon Cutler, with the AEW Women Championship serving as the main event. After this, punters can then bet on the Full Gear PPV which features the AEW World Championship as the main event propped up by a Jon Moxley vs Kenny Omega fight.
Other than these, players can still bet on wrestling matches/events under WWE’s various programs. Players can bet on odds for matches under the NXT, Smackdown, Survivor Series, and Wrestlemania markets. Examples of odds that players can bet on now include the winner for the WWE Championship, Roman Reigns vs Erick Rowan, as well as the NXT Championship. It’s also possible for players to bet on the location of WrestleMania 37’s Host Venue and the wrestlers who are most likely to be inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2020. The brand is licensed and regulated by both the UK Gambling Commission and the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner.
Paddy Power
For punters who want something different, Paddy Power could be worth checking out. To commemorate this year’s Royal Rumble, Ireland-facing sportsbook came up with a Rumble Fantasy Game. The sportsbook assigned each superstar participating in the event with a value between 1 and 6. Players then had to pick three Superstars with an accumulated value that was less than 10. In addition to this, players were able to pad their points by as much as 25 if the superstars they choose won any of the sportsbook’s chosen events/qualifiers. The player who ended up with the most points from this event then won a trip to either a WWE Raw TV or Smackdown Live TV Taping. Paddy Power is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and the Hellenic Gaming Commission.
BetOnline.Ag
Another sportsbook that offers great odds for wrestling is BetOnline.Ag. Unlike most brands on this list, the sportsbook actually offers weekly odds on matches in Smackdown. Additionally, there are odds for events that might happen in the show other than matches. As of this writing, these special odds include whether the Rock (who is returning to the show for its FOX premiere) will say ‘Jabroni’, give someone a People’s Elbow (or a Rockbottom), and whether he’ll announce a match involving himself in the future. Perhaps the only concern players might have of the sportsbook is the fact that it’s licensed in Panama and not in notable juridisctions like the United Kingdom, Malta, or even Curacao. With that said, the sportsbook has been around since 2004 so it’s not like it hasn’t proven itself.
You should also take note that the brands we listed above are just examples and that there are other sportsbook out there that might allow you to bet on wrestling matches. Of course, it’s still crucial that you exercise due diligence when choosing a sportsbook other than those in our list.
Enjoy
It’s important to remember that people bet on wrestling not to get huge paydays but instead to enjoy. Again, the scripted nature of pro wrestling matches make it impossible for players to get the best odds. With that said, there still a bit of skill involved with players needing to be well versed in the storylines and history of the promotion that they’re planning to bet on.