Aside from the excitement and competitive fun of watching professional sports, many sports fans nowadays enjoy betting on games.
A CNN piece on sports betting in the US revealed that Americans spend billions of dollars on sports betting annually. By now, the country’s various leagues, franchises, players, and networks openly partner with betting organizations as a nod to the thriving betting culture.
In 2018, Nevada was the only state legally allowed to provide sports betting. However, sports betting is now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia. During the Super Bowl this February, Americans bet $10.49 billion on sports, a significant increase from previous years. Additionally, numbers from the American Gaming Association’s gaming revenue tracker highlight that nearly $120 billion in legal bets were made in 2023.
While the Super Bowl is arguably one of the largest competing sporting events in the country, there is also a massive audience following the National Basketball Association (NBA). Today, the NBA racks up an average of 4.53 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, making it a viable and thriving community for sports bettors.
Below, we’ll take a look at the NBA’s betting culture and the technology and trends impacting it:
The NBA’s betting culture
In our introduction, we highlighted the Super Bowl as one of the biggest avenues for sports betting in the US. However, there’s no denying the impact of professional basketball and the NBA’s place in modern American culture. Lots of cultural and lifestyle trends have started from basketball, such as the “sneakerheads” phenomenon and sneaker collectors basing their picks and favorites on what top NBA players wear.
In fact, findings from Drive Research indicate that the NBA and, subsequently, betting on basketball, will become increasingly popular in line with a generational shift. The study found that 43% of Generation Z indulged in sports betting in the past year, with 59% of them preferring to place bets on basketball. This is a significant lead over football (42%) and soccer (27%).
At the same time, it’s important to note that the NBA isn’t the only major basketball entity that sports fans pay attention to. The study cited the importance of college basketball seasons, which creates an alternative avenue for sports betting enthusiasts. At the same time, digital innovations in recent years make sports and NBA-specific betting even more accessible.
Of course, while sports betting has made progress in terms of establishing legality in the country, it isn’t without its faults. In a previous post, we highlighted the recent NBA gambling controversy behind Jontay Porter due to irregularities in Porter’s individual prop bets. During the span of two NBA games, Porter left prematurely, which led to those betting on ‘Porter’s under making huge profits’.
NBA betting — Tech and trends
Along with the generational shift in NBA viewership and betting culture, innovations in digital technology over the years have helped make NBA betting more accessible and convenient. For example, the rise of streaming technology has made NBA events and matches more accessible to viewers and fans who may not be able to attend live in venues, or may not have access to cable or satellite broadcasts.
Additionally, the rise of cryptocurrency in recent years has also infiltrated the NBA betting culture. Nowadays, NBA fans can bet cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more on NBA matches instead of fiat currency. Leading betting platform Thunderpick allows bettors to use a “Live Mode” to watch games and place bets on in-play events. This can help viewers and bettors keep track of player and team performances in real-time to assess their odds of winning.
In fact, this “Live Mode” is also a feature the NBA itself endorses. In March 2024, the basketball organization announced betting integration into the NBA’s out-of-market streaming package. This means that subscribers to the NBA’s League Pass can place bets through the league’s betting sponsors while keeping up with spreads and odds in real-time. This is designed to help support in-play betting through near real-time video and rapidly updated spreads and odds.
Of course, if sports betting isn’t for you, you don’t have to worry. Viewers must opt-in to gain access to the watch-and-bet system, just as they would for game stats and other features. This acts as a safeguard so you won’t accidentally make bets when you don’t want to. These betting integrations are set for mobile devices using both iOS and Android platforms. Scott Kaufman-Ross, EVP of media and gaming for the NBA, stated that this new feature would make NBA betting easier and more accessible versus the 30-second delay that viewers must endure on cable and satellite broadcasts.
