DraftKings asks MA Gaming Commission to take bets on the Boston Marathon. BAA writes in and squashes it

Honestly think this would be incredible for growing the sport*. There are tradeoffs of course, but for getting more eyes and money into the sport, this is a no-brainer.

Parimutuel betting would be awesome too, like exotic horse racing trifectas etc.. pick 6 from the mens/womens 800/1500/5000 etc.. Tons of potential.

*With the typical caveats, as gambling comes with significant downsides.

Agreed, I think its the best way to get money into this sport. $12 billion is wagered a year on horse racing in the US, running should be able to get at least some fraction of that.

Marathons make a lot more sense for betting purposes than a track meet. Far fewer variables for the oddsmakers to deal with. The fact that the athletes only run 2-3 marathons per year lends to confidence you'll get a maximum effort instead of a throwaway.

They could set matchups on one runner to finish ahead of the other, even if they both were projected to be well outside the medals.

it would be far too easy for runners to throw races

The same could be said for tennis or dang near any other sport you can currently bet on.

I’m on the fence on if I think this is a good idea or not for marathons though.

Doesn't seem like there would be enough money bet to be worth it for anyone in a position to win to throw their race

track meets would be more fun... more events..easier to place parlay bets etc..... could have betting windows like at the horse races!!!

Looks like Massachusetts blocked it but apparently you can bet on it in Kansas, Oregon and Wyoming?

wcvb.com

MGC blocks wagering on Boston Marathon after BAA expresses concern

Commissioners voted unanimously against allowing wagering on the upcoming Boston Marathon.

Open link

Live betting would be nice.

But you already could be on Worlds marathon so it sounds like the permission is only needed in Ma.

Overseas you can bet on London. Glad the bookies are going to treat our sport seriously.

Ok. What a joke. The BAA is worried someone might sabotage the race?

Or perhaps someone might tank?

Meanwhile betting will be allowed by Draft Kings on the race in other states so all of this is just BS posturing.

There are limits how much someone can bet on the obscure sports and if a bunch of money came in weird the Sports Books can alert the authories.

From the article above:
“At this moment, there is not sufficient time for the Boston Athletic Association nor its many partners and agencies to coordinate and fully ensure proper protocols are in place to support such a proposal for wagering on our event. Without time to undergo analysis and proper due diligence, we are concerned about how such an expedited approval would potentially impact the event,” BAA officials wrote. "Until we can complete due diligence, our concerns include, but are not limited to, ensuring event security and potential influence on the outcome of the race."

Classic bureaucrats lol. They'll do like 7 years of studies and form a commission before ever allowing this. God forbid they did anything to might get people interested in the sport.

this doesn't make sense any sense at all - are you completely unfamiliar with sports betting? first off, the limits are going to be small. it's not like the NFL where you can bet $10k+ with no problem. second, you probably can't bet AGAINST an athlete, only for.

So how can you throw a race if you can only bet on someone? Kipchoge could go and bet $300 or whatever the limit is, on the other runners. and then throw it himself? to make a few grand? Or he could just run normally and make 6 figures.

plus your logic applies to all other sports too. Are there risks/concerns? yes. Typically the biggest risks are when the betting volumes dwarf the money the athletes are competing for. Things like tennis qualifiers, minor esports tournaments, have more cheating bc the overall prizes for the tourney will be like $5-10k. In this marathon betting example, the betting volumes & limits are going to be very low as it's brand new. These athletes aren't going to be able to bet $10k+ against themselves to throw the match

Kipchoge is such an outlier that they will only pay out probably $20 for $100 bet.

Track and field is better off without gambling.

Gambling ruins the sporting aspect of sports and turns it into an industry that exploits athletes and fans. You don't have to monetize every aspect of sports, it is only the arrogance of people who are trying to manipulate the sport to their own advantage. It is the frat-boy mentality of trying to fleece others and gain advantage because they are able to access some sort of knowledge that others don't have.

I see there are gambling shows on ESPN all the time now, they are going in the wrong direction for sports. It is so bad that they have to include ads reminding people not to gamble their life savings. Don't get sucked into that scummy world.

On the one hand, I wholeheartedly agree. Only the house wins. Gambling is toxic and ruins lives.

On the other hand, betting seems to pump a lot of interest into the sport. My father-in-law basically became a fanboy of a variety of sports, leagues and teams that he'd otherwise have absolutely no interest in because he can bet on them now.

There is 1 big winner with sports gambling- the sports books.

But you've been able to gamble on pretty much every sport in the world in Europe for decades. Sports are fine.

No you can gamble on virtually every sport in the US but we're going to exclude track?

have... you heard of europe? how bout asia? maybe south america? africa? You do realize that betting occurs all over the world outside of the US. Like, there is already betting on marathons, and track, and olympics. and there has been for the past 20+ years.. along with literally every sport.

one of the problems with betting is people like you, who have absolutely zero understanding of it, feel the need to chime in & even petition their congressperson etc. Next time just say you are clueless and don't understand the space instead of typing paragraphs of drivel.

Thank you

I can bet on CORNHOLE right now on draftkings.

Why not running?

because people like 89 steps get in charge and have zero clue or understanding of the industry