Super Bowl 58 has plenty of headlines, like Patrick Mahomes making his 4th Super Bowl and a former Mr. Irrelevant leading his team to the big game. But perhaps the biggest one involves a person not even on the field. The romance between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop icon Taylor Swift has taken social media by storm, and for the first time, there are Swift-related props that you can bet on for Super Bowl 58. However, these aren’t always legal bets. Let’s take a closer look at some of the Swift-related wagering options and where you can legally bet on them.

Where can I bet on Taylor Swift Super Bowl props? 

United States

It is illegal to bet on Taylor Swift Super Bowl props in the United States. However, DraftKings has created some Super Bowl prop bets that are focused on on-field player performance and tangentially connect to Swift. The bets have nothing to do with Swift herself, but rather related to themes of her music. Some examples include “Anti-Hero: B. Purdy 250+ Pass Yards and 2+ Pass TDs” and “Blank Space: T. Kelce to Score an Octopus”. The props are named after Swift’s songs, but the outcomes of the bets do not involve any actions by her. 

You might be wondering why you can’t bet on Swift Super Bowl props, and BetMGM Senior Trader Tristan Davis answered this by saying, “The general rule of thumb in the U.S. for creating prop bets is that they need to be determined by action on the field and the result shown in the box score. This makes it difficult to offer prop bets on Taylor Swift since she doesn’t play the game,”  per USA Today.

Canada - Ontario

Sports betting rules can differ depending on the country. For example, Canada has much looser regulations on sports betting than America. Because of that, Canada is offering legal Swift-related Super Bowl props at FanDuel and BetMGM. The four Swift-related bets that you can wager on at FanDuel in Canada are:

  1. Will Taylor Swift wear a Kristin Juszczyk custom design? (Yes +310, No -420)

  2. Will Andy Reid mention Taylor Swift in his Podium Interview/Speech? (Yes +520, No -850)

  3. Will the MVP mention Taylor Swift in his speech? (Yes +520, No -900)

  4. Will Travis Kelce Propose to Taylor Swift on the field after the game? (Yes +820, No -2000)

Unregulated Offshore Sportsbooks

Offshore sportsbooks are illegal and very risky to use, but they do offer a lot more Swift-related props for the Super Bowl. However, the reason offshore sportsbooks offer more Super Bowl props involving Swift is because they are unregulated. This makes using an offshore sportsbook very dangerous.

The Swift props may seem enticing, but because of the risky and unreliable nature of the sportsbooks, they should be avoided at all costs. Plus, these seemingly harmless Swift-related bets could lead to more bets being placed by casual and novice fans, which could potentially serve as a gateway into betting and ultimately lead to gambling addiction.

Dangers & Risks of Offshore Sportsbooks

Offshore sportsbooks are illegal

Offshore sportsbooks attempt to lure users in by offering all sorts of bets. They can range from Swift-related Super Bowl bets to other novelty bets you can’t find at legalized online sportsbooks. However, these types of offshore sportsbooks are unregulated and therefore dangerous to use. The American Gaming Association stated that, “Offshore sportsbooks violate federal and state laws in targeting U.S.-based consumers. Worse yet, they take advantage of confusion and uncertainty to entice consumers to use their illegal sites.” Your privacy is not guaranteed, odds could be worse than legalized sportsbooks, and your payout of winnings might never come through. And if these illegitimate sportsbooks decide to not pay out winnings, where would you turn? You can’t report an illegal sportsbook without admitting that you were betting illegally in the first place.

Trustworthiness - Will winnings get paid? 

Using an offshore sportsbook is a huge risk, not only because they are illegal, but also because you are not guaranteed to ever see your winnings. Since the sportsbook is unregulated, you’re never guaranteed a payout of your winnings like you would be from a legalized sportsbook. In fact, FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said that “25% of FanDuel’s customers who switch from illegal operators do so because they weren’t paid their winnings” (CNBC). 

Betting with credit

When you sign up with a legalized online sportsbook like FanDuel or BetMGM, one of the first steps is to deposit money into your account. That becomes your bankroll, which should be thought of as the amount of money that you can afford to lose. However, at offshore sportsbooks, that’s often not needed. Instead, you can sometimes bet with credit that the sportsbook gives you. This may seem like a better idea at first since you don’t need to deposit money, but in reality it’s very dangerous because you may end up losing more than you planned and can afford. 

The bottom line is betting with credit can increase your chances of a gambling addiction. It can lead to a larger financial loss and the potential desire to chase your losses further. This is a frequent case of how a gambling addiction can start, so it’s important to stay away from offshore sportsbooks.

Lack of Responsible Gaming features

Since offshore sportsbooks are unregulated, they lack any responsibility for their users. Besides not guaranteeing winnings or your privacy, it also means there is rarely a betting limit or time limit feature to help the users stay safe and in control. Legalized online sportsbooks offer features to help minimize the chance of betting too much and creating an addiction. This is not the case at offshore sportsbooks, and neither are Problem Gambling resources like Birches Health.

Gambling Addiction Help & Resources

Fortunately, there are help and resources available for those who may be dealing with a gambling problem. Birches Health believes costs shouldn’t stand in the way of getting help. They offer treatment options with trained specialists that fit your schedule. If you’re looking for an effective, seamless and private treatment option, consider Birches Health.

If you believe you or someone you know may be struggling with gambling addiction, call (833) 483-3838 or email hello@bircheshealth.com.

Resources:

The reason you can't wager Taylor Swift Super Bowl bets at US sportsbooks is simple

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