Sports betting surges: For some fans, watching the game is no longer enough as prop bets grow

According to the American Gaming Association and other sources, 60 million adults placed bets on Super Bowl LX. More than $1.7 billion was through legal sportsbooks.

A launch pad for explosive growth

The concept of betting isn’t new, but the landscape has shifted – defined by accessibility and hyper-specific wagers.

The growth of legalized markets has been a major catalyst behind the accessibility of today’s sports betting, said Mike Fry, PhD, professor of Operations, Business Analytics and Information Systems at the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business.

In May of 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban stopping states from legalizing sports wagering. The decision gave states the green light to create their own gambling markets within their borders.

“It’s growing so fast – we’re still in a very reactive mode,” said Fry. “It’s difficult because each state is making their own rules.”

Legalization didn’t just expand access – it reshaped the product itself. Once sports betting went mainstream, sportsbooks needed new ways to keep fans engaged, opening the floodgates to prop bets.

The proliferation of the prop bet

Thanks to apps such as DraftKings, Fan Duel and emerging prediction markets such as Polymarket, wagering became fast, frictionless and hyper-specific – turning every play into a high-stakes moment.

At the heart of this shift is the explosion of proposition bets, or prop bets. Unlike traditional wagers that focus on the final outcome, prop bets zoom in on micro-moments, plays and players – each one bettable.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

This granular approach broadened the audience, turning rare fans into regular fans by offering them infinite reasons to tune in – from who’s going to score a touchdown to when they’re going to score a touchdown to how many times they’re going to score a touchdown. Yardage, points, passes – it’s all on the table.

“It totally changed how fans follow games,” said Fry. “It drove interest from watching ‘your team’ to watching dozens of players from dozens of games. You can really make any game interesting – it’s very much about the individual.”

But that individuality comes with new risks.

“As prop bets become more and more specific, it’s easier for people even peripherally involved in the game to influence the outcome of these bets,” Fry said. “And it’s becoming a bigger and bigger problem.”

Credit: NYT

Credit: NYT

The greedy side of game influence

Fry’s research focuses on sports analytics, and he brings a unique perspective to the conversation – one informed not just by academia, but by experience. He previously owned an analytics company focused on fantasy sports applications, providing valuable insight into the dynamics between incentives and behavior.

“Now with these prop bets, it’s become much easier for people and players to manipulate without affecting the outcome of the game,” he said.

And it’s moved beyond the professional level into college sports – where susceptibility may be more of a concern. College athletes, often younger and under intense pressure, may prove to be more vulnerable to outside influence – particularly when individual actions can swing the bet.

“In most cases, college athletes are paid a lot less,” Fry said. “So there may be more of an incentive to influence a prop bet.”

The ability to influence outcomes can also affect the legitimacy of the game, said Fry, as very legitimate actions are being questioned.

“It’s making it harder to separate good game management from a prop bet.”

An example of this: HITC.com reports an NFL fan used Super Bowl rehearsals to make winning prop bets on performance timings. He showed his plan in TikTok videos and talked about recording the national anthem rehearsal at 1 minute and 44 seconds.

A betting formula with bad behavior

For many fans, watching the game is no longer enough. They want action – and stakes – on every drive.

With increasing accessibility comes increased concerns over addictive tendencies.

“Today’s sports betting reduces friction and makes gambling easier than ever,” Fry said. “The addictive nature of it has the potential to really do some harm.”

The Harvard Gazette cites a recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine finding that internet searches for help with gambling addictions have risen 23 percent from the 2018 court ruling through June 2024, suggesting that modern sports betting lends itself to addictive behavior.

“Having it on your phone with push notifications and constant advertisements is able to kind of hijack your brain in a really fascinating way,” student fellow Spencer Andrews told the Harvard Gazette. Andrews is the author of a two-part series for the “Bill of Health Blog” on the dangers of sports gambling. Online: Marching Toward Gambling Madness

A permanent shift in fandom

There’s no going back to a pre-app era of sports viewing. Betting platforms have fundamentally altered how fans engage with the game, turning passive spectators into active participants with money on the line.

“It’s changed what it means to be a fan,” said Fry.

For some, it heightens excitement and deepens engagement. For others, it raises ethical and cultural questions about what sports are becoming.

As the Super Bowl and other marquee moments continue to blend athletic performance with entertainment and wagering, experts like Fry are watching closely, asking not just how the game is changing, but what those changes mean for fans, athletes and the future of sports itself.

Content Creator Brooke Bunch may be reached at brooke_bunch@yahoo.com.

GAMBLING ADDICTION SUPPORT

The Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline:

The National Problem Gambling Helpline:

Locate problem gambling services in your area at gamblinghelpohio.org.

Gam-Anon is a peer support group for those who are or have been affected by someone else’s gambling. To learn more about Gam-Anon visit gam-anon.org.

Gamblers may take this confidential self-assessment quiz to help them understand if they may have a problem: pausebeforeyouplay.org/play-responsibly/rate-your-risk