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Saturday, June 3rd, 2023
Almost two years ago the PPA announced a partnership with Genius Sports, who attained the exclusive rights to capture and distribute live data and video broadcasts within its global network of over 150 sportsbook partners.
Details are sparse however Genius Sports has announced, beginning at the Selkirk Texas Open, they will offer fully-modeled in-match and in-play odds, live streaming and 80+ market types.
This would be the first time in pickleball history that betting would take place in the sport. There are many opinions on whether this is a positive or negative for pickleball. One argument for gambling is many more people will become invested in watching professional pickleball because they will have heir hard earned money on the line! This is why fantasy leagues have become so popular among a variety of sports, people need the added reason and excitement to watch pro sports in general. Pickleball is no different. Up until this point, the average person has enjoyed playing at a recreational level and are not familiar with professional players at all. Giving people the opportunity to watch and gamble on these games will enhance how individuals enjoy the sport. The other side of the argument is that with prize money being so abysmal, how do we prevent players from accepting money from gamblers to throw a match, thus rigging the system? WIth tournament payouts like the ones below, you can see many players would be hard pressed not to consider accepting an offer to lose a game or match on purpose. PPA Payouts at their Majors (their largest events)
| MD | WD | MXD | MS | WS |
Round of 16 Finisher | $688 | $688 | $688 | $254 | $254 |
Quarterfinalist | $1375 | $1375 | $1375 | $509 | $509 |
5th Back Draw Champ Bonus | $1000 | $1000 | $1000 | $370 | $370 |
4th | $2750 | $2750 | $2750 | $1018 | $1018 |
3rd | $3250 | $3250 | $3250 | $1183 | $1183 |
2nd | $5500 | $5500 | $5500 | $2035 | $2035 |
1st | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $3700 | $3700 |
Total Event Payout | $33,500 | $33,500 | $33,500 | $12,375 | $12,375 |
Also it's worth noting that if you are not a sponsored player with gold card status, you can subtract these winnings in half. IN HALF!
We were unable to find pickleball betting on Draftkings but maybe you all had better luck.
Did you bet on any matches this weekend? Let us know your thoughts on this very controversial but exciting subject.