We've long maintained that you get the best bang for your betting buck by making a sports wager. It doesn't have the lowest casino edge by any means, but it does give you the most excitement for your money while you're in action.
The fact is, gambling is a form of entertainment and nowhere is this more apparent than in sports betting. Even the smallest bet can turn an otherwise dull sporting contest into a riveting energy-charged experience that's guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping.
Putting money on a game is also a great way to involve a friend or family member who doesn't share your game-day preoccupations. Try going partners on a $10 bet and see if your spouse or roommate gets into a game a little more than usual. If so, go and bet $100 next time and see how much excitement it generates.
Your expected loss on a typical $11 sports wager is about 50¢. (Assuming a 50% chance of winning, laying $11 to win $10 and ignoring ties, the house edge is 4.54%.) Now, divide that 50¢ by the three hours it takes to play a game and you wind up with a 17¢-per-hour expected loss. You'll pay 25 times that to go to a movie (50 times if there are two of you).
And it takes no special knowledge or strategy to make a bet on a sporting event. Sure, you can take up handicapping, or subscribe to a tout service, or get your leads from a free-pick service. But you can also just bet on your home team for the sentimental value, on the underdog hoping for an upset, on the favorite hoping for a rout, or on the team with the color of uniform you like best.
Bottom line: Sports betting is one of the world's great entertainment values.