Over the years, the practice of sports betting has become more and more popular, and over time, different types of bettors have emerged. They can be divided into two main categories: professional and recreational.
Professional bettors are those who are serious about betting and use meticulous strategies, statistical analysis and skills to make consistent profits. They see betting as a profession and invest considerable time and effort to develop a competitive advantage.
On the other hand, recreational bettors are more interested in the excitement and entertainment provided by betting, often betting with limited budgets and less focus on long-term profitability.
According to Ricardo Santos, a data scientist specializing in statistical analysis for sports betting on football and founder of Fulltrader Sports, the leading company in Latin America in Saas Software for the Final Public of Sports Trade, being a recreational bettor can offer a series of risks.
“Playing bets causes a very high load of brain dopamine, a substance that causes the feeling of pleasure, satisfaction and increases motivation. However, this type of feeling can be the reason behind extremely wrong choices”, he reported.
When a person bets, there is a chance of a return with profits of the bet amount. However, this expectation is not always positive. “If someone decides to go to the movies or eat at a restaurant, for example, they know that their money will be invested and will have some return that will also offer a dopamine boost, whether with a good movie or a sophisticated dish. However, in the field of betting, this burden can turn into frustration when the expected result is not achieved”, pointed out the expert.
For Santos, some may lose the perception of limits by continuing to view betting as a merely recreational activity. “The triggers for placing bets, such as football matches, Formula 1 races or even video game matches, are recurrent and can happen every day”.
“You have to be discerning because, despite being treated as a moment of recreation, the bets require real money to be carried out and, if this becomes recurrent, many spend more than they can and end up losing. There is enormous danger in being a recreational gambler. After all, wishes can outweigh possibilities,” he added.
Professional bettors
Professional bettors have better control over their actions. “Effectively, this is the work of these people. They analyze data, select games and have extremely meticulous and accurate tracking spreadsheets. This type of gambler knows exactly how he is investing his money and what are the possibilities of return”, he stressed.
“There may even be a dopamine rush, but it appears in order to perform the work more effectively. Because it is an activity full of analysis, the more time they dedicate, the more money they tend to make in the long run. This further highlights the problem recreational bettors can face when placing bets purely for the feeling of emotion.”
