The proliferation of gambling — in all its various forms and venues — continues. Hard as it might be to believe, one can bet on events such as weather forecasts, celebrity deaths, ferret bingo, the next pope and the Oscars. And now … wait for it … professional wrestling.
Yes, professional wrestling, where outcomes are scripted in advance. While MNAPG is officially gambling-neutral, it was hard not to cast a questioning glance at the WWE’s (World Wrestling Entertainment) March announcement that it’s looking to have its wrestling matches available for gambling.
Aside from the security issues involved in ensuring that the scripts are not made public until match date — a situation that would seem ripe with temptations for wrestlers to receive payoffs from gamblers under the table — one can also question whether gambling on such outcomes truly constitutes gambling.
The classic definition of gambling is “the wagering of something of value on a random event (chance) with the intent of winning something else of value.” One can question whether the element of chance is truly part of an event where the outcome has been predetermined.
This underscores the fact that gambling is everywhere — and it’s ever-important for those concerned about problem gambling to be on their toes.