“Do you bet on sports?”
I asked that question to everyone I interviewed for this series of stories.
So I thought it would be fair to answer it myself. And my response will be similar to many of those that I received: “Yes, but…”
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I enter a $5 March Madness pool every year and put quarters on squares for the Super Bowl when the opportunity presents itself. I play fantasy football with my family, but there is no entry fee, and the winner gets a championship belt like those awarded in wrestling.
I also have been known to bet on the Kentucky Derby. But I have not wagered on the horse race since my husband and I hit an exacta in 2023 by correctly picking Mage and Two Phil’s to win and place. We figured we wouldn’t have that much luck again, so why spend the money?
I’ve even placed a bet in a Las Vegas sportsbook while there on vacation.
But I’d never downloaded a sports-betting app on my phone until I started working on this series. I used two — FanDuel and bet365 — to inform my reporting.
Here’s what I learned: I did not enjoy them.
Here’s why.
My first bet was $5 on a three-leg parlay during the Denver Nuggets’ game against the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 29.
The Nuggets won.
I lost.
And the joy of my team’s win was diminished by the lost bet, even though it was just $5.
I found myself irritated at Peyton Watson, who failed to make the individual point total I needed to win the parlay. If only Watson had made all of his free throws.
I like Watson too much as a player to be upset over a $5 bet. But I’m competitive and I hate losing.
I also lost $20 on college basketball.
I put $10 on one game involving Lipscomb University, a Church of Christ school in Nashville. I attended first through 12th grade on Lipscomb’s campus, and we were taught that gambling is a sin. I was amused that I could wager on the school.
The Bisons failed me. I should have listened to those Bible teachers.
I forget how I lost my remaining $10, but I was mad and determined to make it back.
My husband was quick to point out that I was “chasing,” a phenomenon gamblers describe as betting more and more money to recoup their losses. It rarely works.
However, I did get my $20 back on the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. I’ve followed women’s basketball for years because of the Tennessee Lady Vols and Pat Summit, so I better understood what I was gambling on.
Then I quit. The apps will be deleted as soon as this series is published.
So now you have my answer to the question I asked everyone else.
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