Dear Outsiders,
This Thanksgiving, experts predict that millions of Americans will retreat to one single destination…
The couch.
Some will arrive nearly unconscious, in desperate need of a nap to sleep off the inevitable post-turkey coma.
Others will come with bruised and broken hearts, seeking refuge from long and futile political debates with aunts, uncles, and cousins.
But the vast majority of Americans will pay a special visit to this worn, upholstered family landmark for a more optimistic reason…
Football.
In a long and hallowed tradition that stretches back 87 years, the couch has slowly, quietly become the nation’s most accessible (and coziest) sports arena.
The couch is also its largest.
It’s estimated that more than 30 million Americans will sit down in unison to watch a game.
And this year is expected to be the biggest yet. There will be a total of three games played today, and another 11 will be played on Sunday.
So if there’s one tradition that’s endured in this large (and often divided) country, it’s that we like watching sports.
But not enough has been said of the couch.
I see it as the critical component to the formula. Without the couch, there isn’t the ease and comfort that brings people together year after year.
And this year, we’re seeing the rise of a NEW take on this time-honored tradition…
The Thanksgiving sports bet.
Here again, the couch is integral to the success of this trend.
In the old days you’d have to get up, leave the house, and walk to a casino or sportsbook center to make a bet (provided there was even one nearby). At best, you could make a phone call to some shady bookie (not the best move when you’re sitting next to grandma). But all of those old ways are outdated and gone.
The rise of mobile sports betting is happening so fast because you can do it in a clean, legal way that’s fun… and free from all those outdated trappings.
And with the ease has come unprecedented growth.
In a few short years this industry has gone from zero… to billions (legalization continues to play a key role — it’s currently legal in 22 states, with 25 more on the way). It’s quite easily the fastest-growing market in America.
Just look at all the ads on your TV. Today (and all weekend long) you’re going to be inundated with ads for everything from Caesar’s Rewards to BetMGM to FanDuel.
They all want to show you how easy it is…
And they’d like to entice you with all the rewards you can make from using their apps.
As you can see, a lot has changed for Thanksgiving football!
In the old days, the only way to make money on your couch during family events was to go through the cushions and hope your uncle dropped some loose change.
Now you can place a parlay bet with the flick of a thumb, and with a little luck, cash in a tidy jackpot. (Here too the odds are better — last time I went through my couch cushions, my only “winnings” were an old receipt and two stale Cheetos.)
I’m excited about where things are headed, and here’s why…
I have money on the game — but it’s not from a sports bet.
As I wrote earlier in the week, it’s because I’ve put my money where I think it’ll see the biggest returns: from the sports betting firms themselves.
Sports betting firms are playing all those ads because each subscriber is worth a lot in fees. These firms are making money hand over fist, and the numbers keep climbing.
(You might remember how DraftKings recently made over 500% in just 10 months.)
So if you want to score the biggest jackpot of all, then here’s what I suggest: Let other people make the sports bets while you profit from the huge fees they’re paying.
My colleague Jimmy Mengel has spent the last year researching this trend — he’s found three sports betting firms that are at the center of this explosive growth.
(And as he recently reminded me, this growth isn’t just coming from football. All the other major sports franchises are jumping on board, including the NBA, MLB, and NHL.)
So I urge you to join me in catching this growth trend while it’s still early.
And best of all?
You don’t even need to get up.
You can watch Jimmy’s new presentation right here. So tell the cousins to be quiet, make sleeping Uncle Bill move over, and settle in and get comfortable.
Today this $516 billion industry is seeing one of its biggest days yet — and you can be a part of it from right here on the couch.
