When I was younger, to be told to do something “like a lady” usually implied restrictions. I can still imagine someone wagging a finger in my face because I had messed up by being too loud, too messy, too unladylike.
But as I’ve grown up, with activist movements helping to move the needle on gender equality of every kind, doing something “like a lady” has taken on new meaning. “Mothering” is synonymous with being the GOAT. Queens reign. Queen Bey herself said it: Who run the world? Girls!
Betting Ladies’ founder, Val Martinez, wrote a fantastic piece about what #BetLikeALady means to her. She talks about why she started betting on sports and why she built this community: a first-of-its-kind community by women sports bettors for women sports bettors. (Definitely give it a read if you haven’t already!)
Then Val put the question to me! What does #BetLikeALady mean to you? So I’ve been thinking about it, and here’s what I’ve come up with.
1: Betting Is for Everyone
Betting Ladies is a community for anyone who identifies as a woman and wants to get into sports betting. It’s a community that makes space for whatever betting looks like for you. So much of the sports betting world is very “straight male”-coded. But does it have to be?
Sports betting, like sports, has fun and entertainment for everyone. #BetLikeALady isn’t about taking a male activity and adding a little pink and sparkle to it. It’s about recognizing this isn’t a “guy thing” at all.
#BetLikeALady simply says, “We’re out here!” Let’s get that bread.
#2: Trust Yourself
A recent study came out saying women have better outcomes wagering on sports than men. The study found that women bettors got a 20% return on their bets overall. Men? They lost 5%.
#BetLikeALady says women can do it their way and do it better. It says you don’t have to conform to the straight male culture of sports betting — you can create your own.
There are plenty of theories on why women bet smarter than men. Maybe they’re a little less emotional about their teams, more clear-eyed about risk, and more strategic on which bets they place. Either way, trust your instincts and bet with confidence and clarity.
3: Bet With Friends
Sports betting has entered the chat. The group chat, that is.
I don’t know about guys, but the way that my female friends and I bet on sports is very social. Betting is another way to engage with each other, add to the conversation, cheer each other on, or, when necessary, maybe drag each other a little bit!
In my group of friends, I’m actually one of the least sports-obsessed. My hand-eye coordination didn’t exactly lend itself to anything involving a ball (I was a gymnastics and swimming gal), and my family moved around so much that we didn’t have a super strong team affiliation. My friends, on the other hand, grew up playing soccer or softball and are massive fans of their home teams. Sports betting has actually opened up a whole new avenue for me to engage more deeply with their interests in that world and to know it just as well.
4: Make Betting Fun for YOU, Whatever That Looks Like
What’s fun for you? Brunch? Game night? Pick-up sports at the park? A dive bar and cheap beer? Cocktails on a rooftop? Sports betting can fit into any package and fit your favorite type of entertainment.
Sportsbooks are getting better at building marketing and user interfaces that cater to a wider audience than just straight males. (FanDuel is noted as the best sportsbook for women, notably because their CEO is a woman, and they’re clearly consulting with women on their design.)
But as we engage in the apps, we can also drive the entertainment value forward in our own ways.
Ultimately, #BetLikeALady means to bet like yourself. Be confident in your skin and in your decisions. Bet responsibly, bet boldly, bet smart. There’s no gatekeeping here: #BetLikeALady is as diverse as we are. #BetLikeALady means bet however you want.
