Sportico Poll Reveals That If You Jinx Family’s Favorite Sports Team, You Will Be Asked to Leave

A new poll conducted by OnePoll at the behest of Tipico Sportsbook has probed attitudes towards sports betting among family members and friends. According to the poll, 71% of respondents have argued that the “stakes are higher” when watching a sports event with friends or family.

As Thanksgiving is a time to be with your loved ones, Sportico’s poll reveals some interesting behavior and attitudes among sports fans. Some 74% argue of respondents that watching a sporting event with rival fans feels much more fun, while 67% admit that they are purposefully teasing and antagonizing loved ones who support the opposite team.

The strange link between sports fans and individual teams goes even deeper, and the OnePoll survey suggests as it established that 62% of fans are inclined to blame themselves for their teams’ losses. Superstitions seem to have a powerful pull with sports fans who seek to explain any outcome that doesn’t fit their preferences in any way possible.

Bad Luck Is Not Tolerated by Sports Fans

One such is by attributing the bad outcome to bad luck. Of the respondents, 38% admitted that they felt like someone in their family was bad luck. Some 84% said that they had no problem with asking that person to leave the room while a game was in progress.

The rivalry between family members over sports gets even more heated, as family members seem inclined to place a friendly wager against a loved one. That applies to 59% of the cases, according to the poll. While money is not always the way to settle this bet, debt payment is always demanded, whether that is a free haircut, wearing sports paraphernalia from the opposite team, or some other whimsical idea the winner of the bet has had.

As it turns out, two-thirds of sports fans are superstitious about their sports jerseys and argue that they would hold on to them, hoping to get the outcome right. Those superstitions are many, and they range from listening to the same music ahead of a game (44%) to carrying a good luck charm (42%) to eating specific food/snacks while watching the game (39%).

Tipico Sportsbook’s poll reveals that rivalries don’t start at the stadium or pitch. They start right at home with your loved ones, especially when a sports bet is involved.