Sports Betting vs Stock Market Comparison (& A Better Alternative)

Sports betting vs stock market trading: which is a better investment? 

Betting on sports and trading on the stock market are super-popular investment options. 

Both are highly speculative, involve high risks, and can ultimately go your way or not!

This article will explore everything you need to know about sports betting and stock trading, including the key differences and similarities.  

We’ll also share a more reliable alternative investment — fine wine — and how you can easily start your own wine portfolio through Vinovest. 

Ready to get into it?

What is Sports Betting?

The sports betting industry allows a gambler to place bets on the outcome of a game or match (think the Super Bowl or Wimbledon or a local horse race.) 

If the team you bet on wins, you make money. If the team loses, so do you.

The sports betting industry consists of sports media customers, sports leagues, and sports betting companies that offer people gambling opportunities on different sports. 

Some companies operate as sports books (where you go to make a wager.) 

Others are tech platforms that help organizations to operate as sportsbooks.

These companies (like Caesars Entertainment Inc, Genius Sports Limited, and Flutter Entertainment PLC) also provide services like owning and operating online sports betting and casinos, and buying sports betting stocks. 

Other online gaming and betting companies include Rush Street Interactive Inc, Barstool Sportsbook, and Penn National Gaming Inc.

Fun fact: Penn National Gaming now partially owns media enterprise Barstool Sports (founded by Dave Portnoy.)

In some countries, illegal bookies fix matches (illegally playing or officiating a game with a pre-determined outcome) both in real life and online.  

Why is Sports Betting so Popular?

Here’s the thing - with many sports taking place daily, the sports betting market offers lots of opportunities to make a fast buck. 

With technological advances, sports betting has also become more accessible to regular individuals. 

While people may be skeptical of how profitable sports betting can be, some veteran bettors have enjoyed good returns.

Some of the most successful sports bettors include: 

• Famous Las Vegas real estate mogul Billy Walters: In the sports betting industry, Walters is widely known as the most successful sports bettor of all time. He has only experienced one year of losses in 39 years. Walters even used to bring in $50 million a month from sports betting alone!
• Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: Mark Cuban currently has a net worth of $4.5 billion from the sports betting market. 

Today, a gambler can reap the benefits of betting thanks to legalized online sports betting services. This came after the Supreme Court revoked a federal ban on betting in 2018.

3 Popular Sports To Bet On

Considering sports gambling?

Here are the three most popular sports you can bet on:

• Soccer: According to Sportstrader, about 70% of the global legal and illegal betting comes from gambling on soccer! Each World Cup tournament likely sees well over $260 million in bets by sports gamblers.
• Tennis: Tennis is one of the most betted sports in the world. Over $68 million was bet on Scot Andy Murray’s 2012 Wimbledon match.
• Basketball: About $10 billion of legal and illegal bets are placed on a single elimination tournament from March Madness. 

Now that we’ve demystified sports gambling, let’s look at stock trading. 

What is Stock Trading?

Stock market trading involves buying and selling shares of a company listed on a stock exchange (like the New York or London Stock Exchange.) 

To earn profits, you have to closely track the stocks’ prices, aiming to buy low and sell high. 

There are two types of trading on stock markets like Wall Street and the London Stock Exchange:

• Active trading: Using trading strategies, you actively buy and sell securities for a quick profit over a short period (a couple of weeks or a month.) You do this to benefit from short-term stock price movements.
• Day trading: Day trading is when you buy and sell securities in a single day based on small, short-term stock price movements. The profit earned is small and you need plenty of expertise and commitment to peruse the stock market daily.

3 Fast-Growing Stocks To Invest In

Here are three stocks to invest in:

• Etsy: Etsy is a powerful marketplace connecting craft makers with customers. In the first quarter of 2022, Etsy’s marketplace sales volume rose to 177%.
• Bed Bath & Beyond: Meme stocks of this previously struggling home goods retailer have experienced sudden surges on Wall Street this year. Bed Bath & Beyond rose nearly 500% in just a few weeks in August after it blew up on social platforms like Reddit.

Meme stocks are shares of a company that has gained a cult-like following through social media platforms.

• The Walt Disney Company: One of this massive international company’s streaming platforms, Disney+, snowballed during the pandemic. Since then, it has been hugely successful.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the similarities and differences between sports betting and stock trading.

Similarities Between Sports Betting and Stock Trading

Here are the key similarities between the sports betting market and stock trading:

• They’re both speculative: In sports betting, there’s a probability that the team you wagered on will win. Similarly, when you trade on the financial market, there is a probability that the stocks will rise or fall. 
• They both aim for low risk, high reward: Both sports betting and stock trading risk capital with the goal of earning a profit. Both industries also aim for low risk while earning maximum rewards.  
• Both industries are growing and getting more technologically advanced: Thanks to tons of online betting sites, you no longer need to visit the bookmaker to place your bets. Thanks to such technological advancements, the sports betting industry continues to scale. 

Now you can easily bet on sporting events like soccer, Formula 1 ESports Series, and more from the comfort of your home. The stock trading industry has integrated decentralized finance systems and cryptocurrencies. You even have plenty of “fully automated” stock trading platforms to make your investing easy.

• Both require a small amount of money to get started: Each year, the amount of money you need to set aside for both has gradually dropped. In sports betting, you can place a bet with even $5, while in stock trading, some companies don’t have a set minimum balance. 

Differences Between Sports Betting and Stock Trading

Here are the main differences between these two investment avenues: 

• Short term vs long terms gains: Gambling is time-dependent. Once the game is over, your chance to make profits from your wager would’ve ended. 

But, stock investing is a more long-term game. When you buy shares of companies that pay dividends, you’ll earn the returns for your risked money - as long as you own the stock. Returns from dividends will help you make money in stocks in the long run.

• Ease of exit: In the sports betting industry, bettors cannot exit the wager once it has been placed. But, in the financial market, you can get out of a loss-making trade anytime. 
• The question of leverage: In stock trading, traders can obtain leverage (when stock traders borrow shares of a certain stock from brokers to help maximize profits and mitigate risk.) 

In sports betting, leverage doesn’t exist.  

• Frequency and availability: The stock market is generally live all the time. Stocks are available for a few hours on weekdays, cryptocurrency is live 24/7, and forex is live 24 hours on weekdays. 

Sports betting is only possible when there’s a live match taking place. 

• Ownership: When investors buy a company’s stocks, they own a portion of the company. Stock traders can also earn annual or quarterly stock dividends. 

But, sports gamblers can’t claim any ownership when placing a bet. 

• Type of information you need: While information is vital in both sports betting and stock investing, there’s a significant difference. With stock trading, you can make educated decisions based on the company’s public information. Investors like Warren Buffett use this data to decide which stocks to buy. When gambling on team sports, you need to research team ratings, performances of the last three games, and the sports leagues’ overall stats.  

Should You Opt for Sports Betting or Stock Trading?

While sports betting and stock trading contain a fair amount of risk, they’re both good investment options. 

As long as you use a reputable site and the right strategies, it’s easy to get started with sports betting. Plus, it’s fun to watch your favorite games while you make some cash.

But, you also run the danger of increasing losses, dealing with legal issues if caught up with the wrong bookie, and even addiction if you get hooked on sports gambling.

The biggest pull for stock market trading is the potential for you to earn dividends. This is especially true if you’re in it for the long haul — say 15 years.

However, you run the risk of getting caught up in scenarios like insider trading, Ponzi schemes, and more. And if a company you’ve invested in doesn’t do well, stock prices can fall, and you can lose money. 

So, if reliable, long-term returns on investment are what you’re after, look at an alternate investment you may not have considered before - fine wine. 

A More Reliable Alternative Investment: Fine Wine 

Fine wine is ideal for an individual investor who prefers low risk investments. This is especially true during economic downturns due to the fine wine industry’s low correlation with traditional markets.

Best part?

Each year over the past 30 years, fine wine has earned 10.6% of returns on investment. 

In the past two years, fine wine has enjoyed a 36.8% increase in returns, while the S&P 500 Index has increased by 27.0%.

The easiest way to invest in fine wine?

Vinovest.

Vinovest is a leading wine investment company that easily helps you buy, store, and sell fine wine.

Here’s what makes it a hassle-free investment: 

• Easy buying and selling: The AI-based online platform helps you buy and sell wine with just a few clicks.
• Fantastic prices: The company sources its fine wines directly from winemakers, wineries, or trusted wine merchants at below-retail prices. Additionally, Vinovest finds the highest paying buyer so you make a good return on investment.
• Authenticity: Vinovest makes it a point to ensure the authenticity of your fine wine bottles. Rest assured, no fakes will ever cross your path!
• Storage and safety: All your wines are stored in bonded warehouses located near the best wine regions. The wine bottles are monitored 24/7 and are stored under optimal temperature, humidity, light, and vibration conditions.
• Access to deep network: You can access an extensive wine network, private wine sales, limited releases, tastings, and so much more.
• Sell your wine any time: You can resell your wine whenever you please. But it’s important to note the price of fine wine often reaches its pinnacle after 5-20 years. Rest assured, our experts will advise you on the best liquidity alternatives, when to sell, and help you optimize your return on investment regardless of market conditions.

Signing up is easy. All you need to do is:

1. Head to the Vinovest website.
2. Sign up with all your personal information. 
3. Fill up a quick questionnaire to assess your investment style.
4. Load up your account with a minimum of $1,000.
5. Now you can just sit back and watch your account grow while sipping on a glass of wine!  

And that’s it!

Make Smart Investment Choices That’ll Reward You In The Long Run

Whether you’re gambling, betting, or trading, choose the investment option that’s most suitable for your needs as an individual investor. 

Armed with the information above, you can make an educated choice. 

In the meantime, if you’d like a more stable long-term investment option with great returns, sign up with Vinovest and build an incredible fine wine collection!