In-game betting has changed how many watch sports, and even some gamblers warn of consequences
CBC
Wayne Madd woke up with a name on his mind. Call it a hunch or feeling, it was a wager he felt he had to make. Like thousands of other Canadians, the twenty-something Toronto sports fan has the betting bug and finds himself making a series of bets almost every night.
One of his favourite bets: guessing which player will score first. On this night in early May, as the Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against the Florida Panthers in an NHL playoff game, his money was on Leafs forward Noel Acciari.
"I bet $25 dollars and it's a $650 payout. It's going to happen. I just have a good feeling" Madd says. "I woke up this morning and I was like, Noel Acciari is going to score the first goal. Every game I bet the first goal. When I wake up in the morning, a name pops into my head and I make that bet."
As it turns out, Madd's premonition didn't pan out. Accari didn't score in what was a 4-2 loss by the Leafs in Game 1 of the team's second-round series against the Stanley Cup-bound Panthers.
But on this rain-soaked May evening, Madd is among thousands of Maple Leaf fans who have gathered just outside the arena to watch their beloved team on a giant screen, many of them furiously glancing at their phones and then back up at the game, following the prospects of their wagers as much as they are the actions of their team.
WATCH: Gaming regulator wants to end celebrity endorsements:
In Ontario, there are now dozens of different betting options available. Apps are easily downloaded, and once users prove that they are over 18 and living in Ontario, there are literally thousands of bets available on dozens of different sports. Gamblers can bet on everything from an NHL playoff game in North America to a horse race in Australia. There are also countless bets available known as player props, where bettors can wager on things like how many points a player will score or how many touchdowns a quarterback might throw.
If you've watched a sports event on TV lately, you know its not difficult to know where to go to start betting.
"In terms of the advertising, you see the commercials all the time, like everywhere. And that's what led me to download the app in the first place. And I've been using it consistently," 26-year-old Justice Beley says. "I mainly do in-game parlays. You're watching the game, you see who is doing well and you get better odds during the game than before.
An in-game parlay allows bettors to place wagers on games that are in progress. Betting sites keep constantly updating odds in real time based on situation of a game.
At the rear of the Square, 24-year-old Sanjay Matdein isn't shy to share his lengthy list of bets that include the Leafs to win by two goals and defenceman Morgan Rielly to tally two or more shots on goal.
Until recently, he says betting was something that wasn't really on his radar. It's quickly become a key part of the game, but something he's not entirely comfortable with.
"We have group chats where we strategize together every day, it's become like a group activity," he says. "It's a slippery slope. Some people think they [might] lose, then bet double to win it back.
"The advertising is ridiculous. Especially the way the Leafs have it on the ice. They have PointsBet on the bottom board, Bet 365 on ice. Like four different competing companies doing the same thing."
