Report: Gamblers not interested in Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Despite (or because of) a perfect 47-0 record, Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn't generating the gambling interest he once did.
By
Mike Singer
•
1 min read
It may come as a shock, but Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose 2013 earnings of $105 million made him the highest-paid athlete in the world, doesn’t attract nearly the amount of gambling interest that he once did.
His ho-hum win over Marcos Maidana on Saturday night – Mayweather’s second defeat of the Argentinian in four months – drew less than 50 percent of the gambling action that Mayweather’s 2013 bout against Canelo Alvarez drew, according to a report from ESPN citing gambling experts.
“He’s a draw, but it’s not translating to the betting window,” said Jay Rood, the VP for betting for MGM.
He entered Saturday night’s fight a -600 favorite (pay $600 to win $100), and as it went, Mayweather improved to 47-0 by unanimous decision. Sports books saw significantly less action on six-figure bets, according to ESPN. Most bettors gambled on Maidana hoping for a giant upset, and thus the books won.
“No big bets; no accumulation of small bets on the underdog. No interest,” said Nick Bogdanovich, the director of trading for William Hill.
The rematch against Maidana wasn’t nearly as exciting as the first bout, and in terms of popularity, it doesn’t help that Mayweather has an extensive history of alleged domestic violence, all of which he calls "hearsay and allegations."
Interest is undeniably waning in Mayweather and he’s still got two fights remaining on his Showtime contract. He announced his last fight will come next September, but hasn’t confirmed any opponents. Of course a possible bout with Manny Pacquiao looms, but would that be enough to entice more gamblers?
