WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield says he has no problem with fans betting on WWE matches, even though professional wrestling outcomes are predetermined.
Sports betting has expanded rapidly across the United States in recent years, and in some regions fans are even able to place wagers on WWE events. While that idea has sparked debate among wrestling fans, JBL made it clear during a recent appearance on TMZ that he supports the concept.
“Absolutely. Yeah, of course. People say, ‘You’re really gonna gamble on wrestling?’ Yeah, people gamble on Game of Thrones outcomes. They’ll gamble on TV shows, so yeah.”
JBL acknowledged that the concept could raise concerns about insider information, but he believes the idea is not very different from betting on the outcome of fictional television programs.
“I think it’s a slippery slope as far as where you got too many people with inside information. But WWE’s getting into a lot of that and letting people gamble on wrestling. It’s just a matter of gambling on storylines, same as you would with TV shows.”
According to JBL, he has spoken with fans who placed bets while attending WWE events, and they told him the experience made watching the show even more exciting.
The conversation about gambling also reminded JBL of a story from his time traveling with WWE. He recalled a prank involving fellow WWE personality Jonathan Coachman that briefly made it seem like he had been arrested for participating in a Super Bowl betting pool.
“Coachman was a good sport about it. Everybody loves Coach. They called him into Vince’s office, Vince was in on it, and he said, ‘I will not go down with you.’”
As sports betting continues to grow across the country, the possibility of wagering on WWE outcomes could become a bigger part of the fan experience in the future.
Do you think betting on WWE matches makes the shows more exciting, or should gambling stay out of professional wrestling?
