For as long as sports have existed, people have likely bet on the outcomes of such events. The hardwiring in our brain seeks rewards and thrills, and we can get both of them when gambling. A buzz, and some additional income. While casino gambling maybe just luck, sports betting is a mixture of chance and accumulated knowledge put to good use. Many think they possess at least one in spades, and that belief has led to the inception of a billion-dollar industry that grows year to year.
Since the US Supreme Court lifted the 25-year-old federal ban that prohibited the activity outside Nevada in 2018, several states took immediate action and passed legislation that permits accepting bets on sports. Something that is a trend worldwide, as regulation concerning sports betting is getting laxer everywhere and its popularity is sky-rocketing.
Since everyone is trying to get a slice of the pie, as professional teams and leagues are cutting authorized partnership deals, and betting apps are appearing left and right. It stands to reason that self-proclaimed sports experts will look to profit as well. Thus, it is no wonder that many YouTube channels are popping up, offering sports betting advice.
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Why Sports Betting Streams Aren’t Popular
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Streaming is the in-thing to do, and seeing as Twitch recently opened a Sports category, which previously fell under Fitness & Health, you would think there would be several sports betting streams on the platform, yet this is not the case.
Unlike traditional gaming, or casino gambling, when it comes to sports betting, you are not allowed to show a feed of the game/match in progress. It is illegal. Streaming services and television stations pay millions to obtain the rights to these sporting events. Therefore, they are strict when it comes to copyright infringement. Violating these rights may get you a hefty fine or even prison time.
So, watching someone commenting on an event that you cannot see, is not entertaining. Furthermore, you do not have to watch someone live picking results for future events. It’s far more convenient to do it on your own time, which is why the Twitch sports betting landscape is a barren land.
Sports Betting YouTube Channels
Conversely, sports betting channels on YouTube have a reasonable level of popularity. All things considered. You can find a great deal of them that provide picks, in-depth analysis of betting odds, site reviews, and more.
They may not have the numbers of make-up gurus, name-vloggers, or cultural commentators, but they’re growing, and they provide quality content for their niche. A few are old-school bettors that may struggle with how to stream and bet online, but it’s the quality of the information, not the way you present it that matters.
Below, let’s look at some we consider are worth the subscription.
1. Safest Betting Sites
Founded in 2012, SafestBettingSites.com is an educational betting and sportsbook review website that primarily focuses on bettors from the US, but also features information useful for international punters. Their YouTube channel looks about as professional as can be, and it aims to provide unbiased reviews, strategy advice, cash-out reports, relevant news, and all kinds of up-to-date betting info. It currently has a limited following, but we think that it is going to explode as more people become more aware of its existence.
Alonzo Solano and Joseph Falchetti are the two site analyst responsible for the YouTube part of things, and both have extensive experience in the sphere, working for different media outlets. Joseph has been mentioned and has had articles linked in publications such as the New York Times, and Forbes. Alonzo has a podcast available on Spotify, which has garnered quite a following with Spanish speaking audiences. It may not have as many listeners as HighRollerRadio, or The Bettor Life (https://abettorlife.libsyn.com), but it is getting there.
2. WagerTalk TV
Founded in 2015, this is a daily sport betting channel that is all about preparing viewers to make the most educated bets possible. WagerTalk TV is a crew of twenty-four professional handicappers that make picks and provide analysis of all major US sports leagues, including NASCAR and horse racing, all from a Las Vegas betting perspective.
Their videos usually feature panels of three or more experts, as they go into hour-long discussions, covering future sporting events, going over the available odds, and which are the most reasonable bets. Still, you may see shorter solo analysis, and they even do YouTube live betting predictions and picks. They currently have 50K subscribers and close to 12 million total views in their six years on the platform. We consider them a must follow.
3. Richard Dwyer
Richard is one of those old school cats we mentioned above. He’s been on YouTube since 2008, when he posted his first short video giving his prediction on the first fight between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, correctly predicting the underdog win. Dwyer is a California lawyer and real estate broker that operates two free sports-betting advice websites or blogs.
His specialty is the sweet science, and he mostly focuses on that, especially on his channel. However, he has also provided picks for NBA and NFL games, as well as the PGA tour. Betting is not all he talks about in his videos, as he likes to mix it up by sharing his opinion on popular topics relating to the current boxing scene.
4. Sports Gambling Daily
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SGD is a team of three professional handicappers. They go by the names of Vegas Joe, Coach, and Philly Phan. The trio has been on YouTube for two years now, and some weeks they are more active than others. On average, they put out over a dozen videos per week. Most of their content is pretty short, and clocks in at about two minutes, but when it comes to MLB picks, they can go as long as fifteen.
These guys cover a few sports, including MMA, but seem to have a love for baseball and basketball. They used to do an hour-long podcast, that they streamed live, but that seems to have gone by the wayside. They only have 5.5K subscribers, but that is almost 3K more than this time last year. They are also active on Twitter and have a terrific Discord channel going.
5. VIP Sports Las Vegas
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Do you remember the CNBC show Money Talks, a one-hour documentary-soap that aired some seven years ago? It showed a side of gambling and Las Vegas we have rarely seen, as it followed the owner of VIP sports, handicapper Steve Stevens looking to sell his game-day picks to gamblers who want to get that extra edge.
Well, his show may be gone, but you can keep up with the fast-talking Stevens via is YouTube channel as he provides explanations of betting terminology and feeds you his formulas for success. He’s been at it for six years now, and his half-an-hour long videos are worth the watch. He may not have a ton of subscribers (17K), but he has a wealth of knowledge to share.
6. Kev’s Picks
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A nostalgia pick. Kevin McC, or Kevin the Sports Geek. It is a shame that Kev no longer seems to have any interest in being a full-time YouTuber, despite his 34K subscriber fan-base. Thankfully, this Canadian sports betting wiz has left us with a library of seven years’ worth of content, teaching users how betting systems work, when to place bets, what reverse line movement is, and so much more. He used to write for a famous sports betting site, but today, you can only find him active on twitter.
You can do a deep dive into his channel and explore all the exemplary educational videos, get industry know-how, and review his old NBA, NFL, and PGA picks, see if you can learn from his mistakes. You can also watch discussions on topics ranging from sports betting nomenclature to whether or not you can make a career out of betting.
7. Stream Movies Sports Betting & Hustlers
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Watching people talk about sports betting may not be exciting, but lucky for us, Hollywood has created some cinematic masterpieces featuring the activity that keep us glued to our seats.
The Hustler is a classic, and so is the Martin Scorsese 1986 follow up The Color of Money. If you’re in the mood for some Paul Newman pool hustling action, you should head over to Amazon Prime, fork over a few dollars, and enjoy yourself.
Another ever-green you can feast your eyes on Amazon Prime is Joe Pytka’s comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss, Let It Ride. There aren’t many movies about horse racing, but this is still likely the best of the bunch. Jennifer Tilly is charming in it, and she gives a terrific performance.
If you want to switch things up and watch a film about the subject of this article, then Two for the Money, with Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey, is also available on Amazon Prime.
Hence, it sure seems like sports betting entertainment and Prime are a potent combo.
