Which Fantasy Sports Players Will Bet on Sports? A Trait-Based Predictive Model of Fantasy Sport Players Engaging in Sports Betting

Fantasy sports is a favorite form of sports consumption, and sports betting is becoming increasingly more popular and accessible. Following the recent Supreme Court decision concerning legalization, many fantasy sports operators are now incorporating sports betting into their platforms to capitalize on this opportunity. However, little research examines the motivations behind why some fantasy players bet on sports while others do not. Using a trait-based model, we investigate the likelihood that fantasy sports players would also engage in sports betting, revealing that traits are predictive of sports betting behavior. Given that traits are not readily observable or easily accessible, a proxy model incorporating commonly available demographic variables is also specified and estimated. Support for our proxy model is found in the widely used proxy means test devised to identify and target those eligible for social programs. As a result, this research is both theoretically driven and actionable.