“Pretty much the only reason people pay mind to professional sports is because they’ve gambled on the game in some way.”
Nope. I’ve watched pro sports since ‘79 or ‘80.
I’ve never gambled on them. I’d be surprised if >30% of voters gamble on them.
It’s not how many, but how much.
in 2021, $57 billion was gambled in America over sports.
https://oddsassist.com/sports-betting/resources/sports-betting-statistics/