How women are breaking through in the sports betting industry

Sports betting has become an inescapable and integral part of the sports viewing experience. 

A 2018 Supreme Court decision opened the door for states nationwide to legalize sports gambling. Teams, leagues and broadcasters have gone all-in on it ever since, with betting companies as key sponsors, gambling segments on pregame shows and even sportsbooks inside some arenas.

Business is booming, as the American sports betting industry turned a record-breaking $119.84 billion handle — which refers to the total amount that is wagered — into $10.92 billion in revenue last year.

Women have also broken through in the industry as hosts, analysts and players. Still, many believe more can be done for women to be a more welcomed part of the sports betting community.

“If you look at sports betting historically, women were more an accessory rather than the main player,” Val Martinez, founder of BettingLadies, said.

BettingLadies surveyed 144 women about their betting habits. Here’s a look at those findings, along with what some experts expect for the future of women in sports betting.

Hiding betting habits

Many women who have dove into sports betting still have certain reservations.

More than half of the women BettingLadies surveyed (51%) said they sometimes feel guilty about betting. Even more (62%) said they occasionally hide the amount of money they won through sports betting.

While 88% said they would share a big win with their partner, 39% have never told their partner that they even bet. 

“I thought it was interesting because it obviously underlines a societal problem that still views betting as, you know, not as entertainment, but as a problematic activity,” Martinez said.

How diving into sports betting can be intimidating

Between props, parlays and pushes, sports gambling has a language of its own.

There are already countless numbers to track within a single game, so simplifying the dialect is one way experts believe sports gambling could become more accessible.

“Many women are also interested in sports betting but feel overwhelmed from the jargon,” ESPN betting analyst Pamela Maldanado said. “So let's talk about beginner-friendly guides, tutorials, let's simplify all of those resources.”

Knowledge of both sports and the betting industry also play a role. On top of potentially losing money on a wager, the fear of getting criticized for a bad bet could also dissuade someone from getting into betting all together.

“Women probably don't enter the sports betting space right away because it's intimidating,” Ariel Epstein, a sports betting analyst for MLB Network and NBATV, said. “No one wants to have these bets, then show it to, let's say, a man who says, ‘Yeah, that's a dumb bet.’”

Looking ahead

BettingLadies concluded from the survey that women enjoy low-risk betting and “treat sports betting more like a side hustle.”

By embracing the low-stakes levels of sports gambling, the industry could open the door for more female bettors.

“Some women probably feel they don't know enough and are too scared to jump right in,” Epstein said. “And I think that as a female, it's my job to educate women that, 'hey, you don't need to be a sharp bettor, you don't need to be experienced, you don't need to have been doing this 30 years. You can still do this for fun.'”

Chelsa Messinger, host of “The Daily Tip” on Audacy, believes more women will embrace it once there’s a level playing field, especially in the sports gambling media.

“You don't have to be on the field to be a good sports bettor,” Messinger said. “In fact, some of the sharpest bettors that I have come into contact with, some don't even watch the games. A lot of it is about numbers, it's about statistics, and it's more of a math problem than anything else.

“So I feel like it levels the playing field for women in that regard, that we can be analysts. We're not there just to be hosts.”