BVTV: Betting on wrestling

Would you bet in a staged event? World wrestling entertainment thinks you might. The league is asking state regulators to allow gambling on matches, according to CNBC. Now this is an invitation to trouble unless the league is extremely careful about trying to prevent insider betting. Online gambling has spread in recent years with the growth of various casinos, sports betting sites like DraftKings and newer online sites which allow people to wager on everything from politics to weather. But it's relatively easy to keep playing field if the outcome is still up in the air. Gambling on events which are already determined is rarer, but you can sometimes, for example the Oscars. Keeping only a few trusted people in the loop in that case ensures surprise.

Now that's going to be harder in wrestling. Writers, wrestlers, trainers and other insiders might have a clue or even know what the outcome is going to be. And that's probably going to make regulators uncomfortable, so it's possible this idea never takes off. It's also pretty hard to argue that society is made better in any way by allowing betting on wrestling. Then again, perhaps it will become legal. The number of things that's possible to gamble on just keeps growing, and it's already possible to bet on WWE matches overseas. But one thing is clear.

The WWE said in January it was reviewing strategic alternatives. That's often corporate speak for a firm putting itself up for sale. A bit of theater about possible future revenue streams could juice the price on the $6 billion firm.

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