Stock Market vs. Sports Betting

[JRS21386]

Yeah... Do you agree that there are Handicappers out there that can make you a really good return over the course of a year?

[Dark Horse]

I'd say it's a hell of a lot more difficult to beat that kind of market, than one in which most of the participants are about as smart as most of the posters here.

I can pick off a stale line from here many slow books without any trouble. You aren't gonna find those opportunities in the financial markets. If they are there at all, someone else will get there and be long gone by the time you arrive.

You don't have to pick off the juicy lines in the stock market. All you need to know is if a stock is going up or down, and be right most of the time. And you set the length of the game, or the price you trade in and out off.

The lines in sports betting are set by extremely sharp people. You have to beat those folks consistently; not the posters here.

[JRS21386]

No i mean really good handicappers, ones who make their living off it...

[durito]

Because the great majority don't have the time or talent, and let a broker do the work for them.

Stock brokers are mostly salesman. On the whole they can't beat the market. Neither do mutual funds.

Give the enormous number of funds, some will consistently beat the market purely by chance.

[JRS21386]

this is true

[Dark Horse]

Maybe so.

That's why I started out saying that if you can beat sports, you can definitely beat the stock market.

[durito]

You don't have to pick off the juicy lines in the stock market. All you need to know is if a stock is going up or down, and be right most of the time. And you set the length of the game, or the price you trade in and out off.

And you think this is easy? The bank I worked at employed hundreds of economics and math PHD's to do this and they certainly didn't find it easy.

The lines in sports betting are set by extremely sharp people. You have to beat those folks consistently; not the posters here.

Most books don't employee very sharp people. I don't have to beat pinnacle to be successful at this.


You are certainly right that it is easier to make money in the stock market -- buy and hold. And when my bankroll is big enough I will be entirely invested in financial markets. But, I worked in finance long enough to know that on my own beating the market significantly is very tough (though certainly not impossible) and the returns I'd make on my money would pale in comparison to some very simple sports betting strategies.

[Dark Horse]

And you think this is easy? The bank I worked at employed hundreds of economics and math PHD's to do this and they certainly didn't find it easy.

Most of them wouldn't know how to beat sports.

You are certainly right that it is easier to make money in the stock market -- buy and hold.

Not a very bright idea. A stock could easily tank.


You're considered a 'god' in the stock market if you can make 20% profit each year. Compare that to sports betting. That's like being up 10 bets (at 2% of bankroll).

In other words, most investors stay well below 20%. Now bring in somebody with a good understanding of sports betting...

[nasdaq888]

Wrong again. Fortunes are made on Wall Street. Very rarely so in sports betting.

VERY TRUE....AGREED

[donjuan]

There's a huge difference between making money in the stock market and beating the market. It's not a zero sum game like sports betting -- any idiot can make money.

Sports betting isn't zero sum either, though (unless you include the books). Your point is taken, however. Also agree with you on the inefficiency of sports betting markets vs. financial markets.

[capitalist pig]

Stock market has been good to me the last 25 years. It doesnt take a genius to make alot of $, it just takes a decent initial investment and time, JMO.

later

[JRS21386]

How much of an initial deposit in the stock market do you think it would take to get started?

[pavyracer]

I bought $10,000 worth of RIMM stock 5 years ago when it was trading in the teens and has since split twice trading at $120 now. I did this through my 401k plan so I won't sell it early and I have seen my initial investment grow to $400,000 in 5 years.

[bigugly]

I am currently majoring in finance, though I do not claim to have any authority here in this thread. That said, I think that these apples and oranges are becoming much more similar as betting moves to markets and away from bookmakers. I'm predicting that marketplaces like matchbook will increase in popularity, as well as the live betting of games. This live betting does allow one to buy in or out quickly and at any time just like e-trade, etc. (Not that there isn't live betting with books.) I think live betting opportunities could increase if places like matchbook become more popular...and move beyond just nationally televised games. However, I may be overestimating the demand.