Imagine betting on whether Rocky will win a decision (he doesn’t), Roy McAvoy will clinch the U.S. Open (he doesn’t), or Jimmy Chitwood will make the buzzer-beater (he does). Just as in these iconic sports films, the outcomes in WWE are scripted.
Despite this, WWE is pushing for fans to be able to place bets on its match outcomes. CNBC reports that WWE is negotiating with gambling regulators in Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting on prominent matches.
The company is collaborating with the accounting firm EY to ensure the secrecy of match results, aiming to persuade regulators that the outcome details won’t be leaked. EY, along with PwC, has a history of safeguarding results for major award shows like the Academy Awards and the Emmys.
Here’s WWE’s proposed approach: match results would be secured well in advance and treated like confidential documents. Wrestlers would only learn the outcome shortly before their matches. Betting would be permitted only within a designated timeframe, possibly closing hours before the match starts.
According to CNBC, betting on events like the Academy Awards is already legal through some sports betting apps, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, though it’s not permitted in most states. WWE executives are using Oscars betting as a model to demonstrate the safety of wagering on scripted events.
If WWE’s push for legal betting succeeds, it could pave the way for betting on other confidential scripted events, such as remarkable character deaths in TV shows. Imagine betting on “The Red Wedding” being re-scripted as “The Green Wedding” in “Game of Thrones” or predicting Lt. Col. Henry Blake’s plane crash in MAS*H decades ago.