TKO Group COO Mark Shapiro has put to rest any speculation about betting on WWE matches, making it clear that the idea is off the table. Speaking about the challenges associated with wagering on scripted events, Shapiro emphasized that WWE’s storytelling nature makes organized betting unrealistic.
The Rumors Of Being Able To Bet On WWE Are False
While being interviewed by CNBC, he was asked what the latest on that news was since it hadn’t been addressed in quite some time. “It’s not happening,’ remarked Shapiro. “We’re not doing that, we’re scripted.”
The conversation around betting on WWE matches has surfaced multiple times, particularly as sports wagering continues to grow in popularity among younger audiences. But Shapiro talked about the difficulties in doing that for a non-competitive product like WWE and the challenges that would create. It’s one thing to do it for UFC, where the outcome is not determined. But, in WWE, where the company decides who wins and loses, maintaining secrecy over outcomes would be almost impossible.
Reflecting on his time at Dick Clark Productions, where he managed major events like the American Music Awards and the Golden Globes, Shapiro explained that even non-sporting award shows faced enough challenges to keep results under wraps. “We had a hard enough time keeping the winners a secret,” he noted, highlighting the logistical nightmare of ensuring confidentiality across an entire WWE card, which includes multiple matches, detailed storylines, and a wide array of potential outcomes. He said TKO is not going to ask Triple H to do that.
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There is simply too much risk involved in opening the door to the world of sports betting and WWE. Particularly, the idea of incorporating prop bets, which have gained popularity in traditional sports, also becomes problematic given the intricacies of WWE’s choreography.
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While sports betting has captivated a younger demographic, particularly young men, and become an increasingly lucrative industry, Shapiro remains steadfast in his belief that betting on WWE is simply not feasible. The potential for spoilers makes the venture far too risky and complicated.
Instead, WWE is focused on maintaining the entertainment integrity of its scripted matches rather than attempting to fit into the world of sports gambling. As a result, fans who were hoping to gamble on WWE will just have to do so for fun with their friends. Creating an official method to do so appears to be a non-starter.