Sports betting: March Madness betting not as big this year

Oh, the March Madness, a sporting event known for extremely-high interest by the basketball fans, NCAA brand name C&Ds and until recently, one of the most bet-on sports tournaments. While the first two factors have not changed - people still follow the NCAA Basketball Tournament with great interest, while filling in tons of brackets for office pools and bragging rights; the NCAA is still chasing betting websites and companies trying to benefit from the Tournament's interest without paying the Association fees - the betting interest has noticeably diminished. Although many would-be-bettors still take advantage of the offshore sportsbooks March Madness tournaments, where free brackets could end up paying out in tangible assets, the actual money betting on the NCAA Tournament games is slowing down, compared to previous years.

Just as a quick example, the online sportsbook Bookmaker is kind enough to let us know which are the current top 10 bets people make at their sportsbook and a real shock - not one of the 10 most bet-on games are part of the March Madness line-up. All ten biggest bets at the sports betting website are basketball related, but not a single game from the NCAA Tournament made it anywhere on the list. The betting sheets remain dominated by bets on the NBA games, while there is such a small interest in the March Madness games, it's shameful. And while some are still betting on the NCAA Tournament, the hype is no longer real, as far as sports betting is concerned. It remains unknown if the reason March Madness has fallen off the betting radar because of bad line-up, the economy or the fact it's getting harder and harder for people to fund their sports betting accounts. One thing is for sure - March Madness betting ain't what it used to be.

Published on 03/21/2009