Why Does Horse Racing Attract So Many Viewers and Gamblers?
The sport of horse racing is one that many people up and down the UK love. From placing a bet on the action each week, sometimes even daily, to watching live on TV and attending the racecourse to soak up the atmosphere.
There are many reasons why people like horse racing, but how has the sport managed to attract so many people over the years?
There are no teams to support, no local affection with clubs, but despite that, people travel all over the UK to get in position for big races. Even those at home plan things to get involved, such as looking at upcoming UK TV listings to see what programs clash with the racing.
So why do so many people love the sport? The simple reason is gambling, this is a sport that has been built up through gambling, so the vast majority of people who attend and watch do it for gambling purposes.
Why Betting on Horse Racing is So Popular
From complete beginners who choose horses based on names, colours and other things to those who bet professionally and spend hours studying the form, betting on horse racing is something that everyone can do.
With daily racing taking place, if you want to bet every day you can, if you want to bet when you visit a track only, or when big events like the Cheltenham Festival appear then you can also do that.
Perhaps the main reason why betting on horse racing is so popular is simply because of the broad appeal. You don’t need to be a big fan to get involved, people can casually move in and out when it comes to racing, both watching and betting from home and being at the course.
Viewing to Watch Bets
This all links betting and viewing together. If people have a bet, regardless of the sport it is on, then they want to watch it. This is the same for any punter, if a horse racing bet is placed then people want to watch their selection run.
The great news is that coverage of racing has never been as good. Terrestrial coverage in the UK comes from ITV while we have two dedicated horse racing channels and bookmakers who offer live streams to their customers.
Cheltenham Festival
The big Horse Racing events are the most-watched, which includes those taking part and looking at Cheltenham festival betting, one of the biggest horse racing events on the calendar.
Horse racing is watched and enjoyed by people who don’t have a bet, but the big viewing figures we see are mainly thanks to those who are gambling on the sport.
Could Horse Racing Survive Without Betting?
There has been much talk about horse racing and betting, and whether the sport could survive without betting.
The chances are that it wouldn’t, there are many fans who like the sport and can happily watch racing without having a bet. However, the vast majority do bet on horse racing, and they only go to the course for a good day out which includes betting.
Should betting ever disappear from sport, the chances are that horse racing would eventually die. This makes it stand out from other main sports, for example, football, golf and tennis would comfortably survive without betting.
This is all down to how the sport of racing has been built up and the foundations it has been put on. People begin their enjoyment of racing because of betting, they watch it because of betting and ultimately, it survives because of betting.
