Endeavor’s Alex Shapiro Talks Scripted Betting on WWE Matches

According to Mark Shapiro, who spoke to “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch,” there is a limit to how far WWE would take betting on its events, with scripted wagering a possibility – but in-play betting on scripted events probably not.

There Is a Limit to How Far Betting Can Go with WWE

Shapiro discussed why this would not be possible. He opined that for the most part, bets such as in-game betting, props and parlays made a lot of sense in sports with organizations such as the UFC, but they would hardly be applicable to WWE, precisely because it’s scripted.

Pre-fight bets seem feasible, Shapiro argues, but moving past that and venturing into in-play betting is another matter altogether. Endeavor is buying out WWE for a total of $9.3 billion, which is why Shapiro is interested in charting a clear course for the future of the organizaiton and what may be coming next for it.

WWE has stated its interest in leveraging the surging popularity of sports betting to ensure that it too gets a fair chance at increasing its viewership and boost engagement with fans, audiences, and even reactivating some of its dormant fan base.

The idea of sports betting was subject to rumors, with gossiping about several states, among which Indiana, Colorado, and Michigan, considering allowing betting on the outcome of those events. However, the states quickly dismissed the rumors, arguing that they were hearsay and not actual fact or consideration at the time being.

Scripted Events and Their Challenges

The idea of betting on scripted events is not entirely without merit. Betting on the Academy Awards, for one, is possible, and they are a scripted event. New Jersey is also accepting wagers on the outcome of the Oscars, and that too is a scripted event as well.

The talks about allowing betting on WWE events weren’t entirely bizarre with fans or observers, but Shapiro has a fairly good idea of how far this can go and what the WWE can achieve, which is both sobering and encouraging about the future prospects of implementing this form of betting.

Some have argued that in-play betting on WWE matches could be hard to implement because how fast things are happening, but in-play betting is part of pretty much every sport out there and fans are not only adapting – they want more.