Which Olympic events can I bet on? 2024 Games gambling responsibly
Published:
Jul 24, 2024
,
05:44 p.m.
ET
Believe it or not, the 2024 Paris Olympics are already upon us. There have already been plenty of storylines leading up to the Games, including the Team USA basketball team having some nail-biting finishes.
That has also heightened fans’ interests in the action, and that includes betting interests. There are currently hundreds of Olympics wagering markets available across popular sportsbooks, as we’ve detailed previously.
We’re here to expand on that and help fans understand which Olympic events can be bet on, and more importantly, how to do so responsibly.
Which Olympic sports and events are available for betting?
So, which Olympic sports can be bet on? Unfortunately, rather than there being a set-in-stone list to easily answer that question, the available sports vary among both states and sportsbooks. In total, there are 32 sports in action for the 2024 Paris Games, and most of them can be wagered on.
Again, the available ones will vary based on the operator used, but to cover our basis, we’ve listed each of the sports that currently have betting markets available with at least one major sportsbook:
Archery
Athletics (Track & Field)
Badminton
Basketball
Beach Volleyball
Boxing
Breaking
Canoeing
Cycling Diving
Equestrian
Fencing
Field Hockey
Golf
Gymnastics
Handball
Judo
Pentathlon
Rowing
Rugby Union
Sailing
Shooting
Soccer
Surfing
Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Triathlon
Volleyball
Water Polo
Weightlifting
Wrestling
As you can see, each of the sports included in the 2024 Paris Olympics have betting markets available, but the variety of options will certainly vary based on popularity. For example, there are more wager types available for basketball than there are for breaking, especially given this is the first year in which breakdancing is part of the Olympics.
Remember, not all 32 sports will be available at one sportsbook. For example, there are sportsbooks that offer just 15 different sports, while others offer over 25 of them. Similarly, given that many of these are sports that are not featured at times outside the Olympics, they can be even riskier to wager on.
Who can bet on the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics?
Location
Not only should caution be used when betting on the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the sheer legality must also be understood. The first restriction to note is location. Although 38 total locations in the country offer some form of sports betting, only 33 of them allow betting on the 2024 Summer Olympics, which we’ve shared here:
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming
Age
Along with location restrictions, there are also age restrictions. The majority of the locations listed above have an age requirement of 21, but there are three in which the minimum age is 18. Those are Kentucky, Rhode Island and Wyoming.
However, keep in mind that individuals from those locations must still abide by the state requirement that they are currently in, along with the requirements put in place by specific sportsbooks. For example, a sportsbook within those three locations can still put in place a 21-year-old requirement.
Sports betting dangers for the 2024 Olympics
When sharing which Olympics sports can be bet on, we mentioned that breakdancing would be a part of the Games for the first time in history. Among the other sports listed were badminton, sailing and taekwondo. While these may be hobbies for individuals, they are not common sports to wager on.
In other words, they come with even more risks than betting on sports that are more mainstream and have more information available. They are far less understood, and that includes by oddsmakers themselves. That presents a combination of risks between both the bettor and the prices offered by sportsbooks.
The fact that the Summer Olympics also occur during the slowest time of the sports calendar also presents a unique risk. Sports fans have less to watch, so the start of the Olympics can create a feeling of necessity to wager on the events more than may otherwise be present if major leagues such as the NFL, NBA and NHL were in action.
With that in mind, the fear of missing out is a feeling that should be fought against rather than given in to.
Gambling Addiction help & treatment options
With so many Olympic sports available for betting, it’s more important now than ever to know that there are resources available for those dealing with problem gambling. That includes those at risk or know someone in either situation.
Birches Health is an online treatment platform that is here to help those individuals. Thanks to the licensed professionals at Birches, 90% of patients have reported an improved quality of life following treatment, and there are several ways to get started:
You can also simply call 833-483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com to get in contact directly with the Birches team right away.
Sources:
How to Legally Bet the 2024 Paris Olympics Online - Newsweek
Can you bet on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games? Here's what you need to know
Paris Olympics 2024 schedule: Complete time, dates for each event at Summer Games
