Back in the day, there was a valid argument as to whether fantasy football counted as gambling. Money was often involved, but it was more of a pastime with friends. While you could win or lose money, the actual dollars risked over the course of a season was relatively small and secondary to the camaraderie of the league. The bragging rights that come with winning were usually the biggest reward.
But everything changed in 2018.
That's when the Supreme Court struck down most bans on sports betting, paving the way for physical casinos and online wagering in dozens of states. So now "fantasy football" can be a fun local league with friends, or it can be a daily fantasy wager, or it can be a wild parlay that rakes in big money if it comes in (but almost never does. Parlays are huge cash cows for betting companies). Is fantasy football gambling? What constitutes fantasy football anymore? Whatever the answer is, you'd best figure it out now while there's plenty of time before week 1.
I'm not going to tell you how to spend your time and money, of course. If you want to play fantasy football, great. If you want to gamble, great. If you want to do both, fine. But I am going to suggest that you're doing yourself a disservice by pretending you can plan for both at the same time. They're different pastimes with different strategies. Fantasy football is a game, and money can be attached to it, but the main focus isn't a payday. Over the course of several months, it ends up being a very slow-moving wager at best. But gambling is very different, requires a disciplined bankroll, and normally has profit-and-loss statements that change from week to week, game to game and sometimes possession to possession. It's not the same.
Don't tell the networks that, of course. The pre-game talking heads often sit around a table adorned with betting logos. Odds are mentioned casually as part of the game. And they'll mention fantasy performances alongside their favorite parlays, as if they're somehow related. It's easy to think all the ancillary maneuvering before kickoff is just part of the same ritual. And that's exactly what they want you to think, of course. Billions of dollars are at stake.
But that's their problem, not yours. You're here because you want to have success at fantasy football, so that's the focus. And in early July, you can't effectively prepare for your draft or auction anyway. There are too many unknowns to finalize anything. But you can figure out how you're going to prepare several weeks from now. And making that determination now can save you time later.
So what do I mean? Make sure your fantasy football prep time is separate from your gambling research. You can't set your lineup and figure out your parlays at the same time. Different strategies, different mindsets. Before your draft, spend fantasy football time on fantasy football, not futures or odds or anything else. During the season, don't let a gambling hunch affect your fantasy lineups. If both are important to you, make time for both. But merging them in your free time will have negative consequences, probably in both pastimes. But fantasy football is the important one to me, and I don't want you clouding up your research priorities.
If I sound a little biased against gambling, I probably am. I have no problem with people doing it, but I dislike the way companies prey on customers. If you try to cut back, they nudge you to put more money down. They emphasize loyalty not just to keep your money, but to offer you worse odds because they know you probably won't shop around. If you do all your gambling with just one site or app, you can definitely get better odds on some bets elsewhere. And they provide the best service to their biggest losers. Not the biggest gamblers; the biggest losers. If you win too much, they'll limit or even decline your bets. Everything in their business model works against you. And if you have an addiction, their efforts to help are tepid at best.
Finally, I don't really think low-stakes fantasy football is the same type of gambling as wagering on a single outcome. It's really about the camaraderie and the trash talk and the victory (or defeat) over the course of several months. Sure, you can win money sometimes. But I've played in money leagues and non-money leagues, and I care about winning both. I actually prefer leagues without money involved, as long as everyone puts effort into it. Even when you play for money, you really aren't playing for money, are you?
So if you're both playing fantasy football and gambling this season, resolve to keep them separate in your head and your preparations. I think you'll have better results by doing so. Happy Fourth of July!
Is your gambling budget higher or lower than your fantasy budget? Do you keep them separate, or is it all part of your weekly entertainment? Do you prefer local leagues or daily games? Share your thoughts below.