Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?

What It Covers

Sport management professor David Bicchino, author of *Over Under*, argues that gambling didn't grow from American sports — professional baseball, football, and basketball emerged specifically because spectators placed bets, creating financial incentive to attend games.

Key Questions Answered

• •Origins of fan engagement: Early baseball crowds in Manhattan wagered nickkel-by-pitch bets on individual at-bats — the same mechanic DraftKings now calls "in-game betting." The MLB's official historian identifies gambling as one of three essential ingredients, alongside statistics and publicity, for a sport to scale professionally.
• •Gambling drives attendance economics: Bettors historically bought more tickets and stayed at games longer than non-bettors, making them the most valuable early customers. This financial dynamic gave leagues a commercial foundation before broadcast rights or merchandise revenue existed as viable income streams.
• •"Integrity" as franchise valuation language: League executives historically opposed gambling not on moral grounds but financial ones — fixed games reduce fan interest, which depresses franchise values. Bicchino reframes "protecting integrity" as protecting asset prices, a distinction useful for evaluating modern league-sportsbook partnership decisions.
• •Scale of current market: US sports betting revenue reached $17 billion in 2025, up 23% year-over-year. Roughly 35% of Division I men's basketball players report social media harassment tied to betting outcomes, signaling measurable player welfare costs alongside revenue growth.