While few sports can come close to matching WWE for action, the fact of the matter is that it's well known to be largely prearranged. The bouts themselves are showcases of physical and gymnastic artistry as well as storytelling, not an actual competitive event in the same spirit as other sports. Given this situation, is it possible to still bet upon WWE, knowing the outcomes are predetermined and it's more like going to the theater to watch a sports movie than to watch an actual game play out?
The good news for wrestling fans is that, in certain cases, betting on WWE is actually something you can do. Why is that? Let's go deeper into the discussion.
Sports wagering is now such a huge industry that there's literally thousands of operators out there catering for every event under the sun. This ranges from the super casual instances of placing a random bet with a stranger at the bar while watching a game or having a group of friends who get together, set up a pool and bet among themselves, to more professional services. For example, people looking for a more conventional side of gambling will find fantastic cutting edge casino games exciting to play All Jackpots Online and will probably stick to that site for 99% of their fun. However, if you're in the market for a more traditional sports book style operator as a form of entertainment, the major events WWE puts on serve a great opportunity to test your skills at predicting how the company will go about writing their material.
There's no denying the appeal of the blockbuster showcase events like WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam and Survivor Series (formerly known as "The Big Four" for wrestling fans, although Money in the Bank has crept its way into that list to become the ceremonial fifth member of that important group of events). Nobody understands this more than the bookmakers themselves, so it's increasingly common to find a variety of bets available for these events even if the smaller venues such as the upcoming Payback event may not be as widespread. You're unlikely to see the option to bet on which man and woman will be the 2016 Sexiest Superstar Tournament winner, but when the time comes for the pay-per-views and live WWE Network special events, that's a different story, as millions of fans will tune in to see what surprises are in store and where the direction of the company goes following that show.
While plenty still steer clear of offering odds on a preordained event, betting options and providers can be found pretty easily these days and they often treat WWE markets close to as extensive and detailed as those you'd expect to find with a more "traditional" sporting occasion. However, in many cases, there are quite significant limits on what a player may stake and/or hope for in their return, as regardless of how secretive the results are going to be, there's always a risk of illicit insider dealing. With so many people on the creative team and knowing the outcome of the matches days, sometimes even weeks or months in advance, word can travel fast and spoilers of WWE's plans could taint the betting process itself.
In regards to these limits, it's unusual to find a sports book that will allow individual players to stake more than around $50 on the event in total, and in many situations, the potential return is limited to a similar figure, too. This places WWE firmly into the "novelty" betting market—much like how you can bet on the results of televised talent or reality shows, for example. WWE wagers are undertaken in the classic market format, but usually favorites are priced at very limited returns, whereas value can be found in the underdog market. In some cases, placing multiple bets on underdogs featuring on the lineup can return quite significant sums. Of course, there's always the chance that form will carry the day, too. More often than not, if you bet on a Roman Reigns or John Cena coming out on top, nobody will blink an eye, but those rare times a jobber can squeak by with a win could pay off well. Imagine the people who would have bet on The Lightning Kid beating Razor Ramon back in the day to get the "1-2-3 Kid" nickname, or for Barry Horowitz to ever win a match?
So while it is indeed possible to bet on certain WWE events, it's most likely best approached as a novelty or a fun wager rather than necessarily being the best call for trying to reap a significant level of return. One last point to remember is that many bookmakers use WWE as an incentive to attract customers to their site with the intention and hope that they will then conduct all of their future betting business through them going forward. It's a good way to bring a different audience into the mix that may not be as skilled at calculating odds that would apply to other sports, since WWE simply operates differently in how it plays out. Savvy players would be well advised to keep their eye out for promotional deals when it comes to WWE events, as often they might be offered at an enhanced rate to attract new business. As ever, the watchful players will always get the best rewards!
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