Has Betting Changed Who Your Friends Are?

[oli_sussex]

Question: Has betting changed your social circle?

Realized recently I have no non-betting friends. Everyone I interact with either bets or tolerates betting talk.

Lost contact with university friends who weren't interested in sports. Stopped getting invited to things because always said no (games on).

Now: betting forum is primary social interaction. No deep friendships. Just surface-level odds discussion.

Has betting narrowed your social circle? Or am I uniquely isolated?

 

[SharpEddie47]

This hits hard Oli.

I've definitely lost friends. Had a close friend from college - we'd talk about everything. Music, politics, life stuff.

Started betting seriously around 2010. Our conversations became 80% sports betting. He wasn't interested. Started replying less. Eventually stopped replying at all.

I told myself he changed. Truth: I changed. I became one-dimensional.

Now most of my "friends" are people I met through betting forums or Twitter. We never talk about anything except sports and lines.

 

[FadeThePublic]

Yeah I've noticed this.

Used to have diverse friend group. Different interests. Deep conversations.

Now? My friends are mostly other contrarian bettors. We talk about fading the public, line movement, nothing else.

Had a buddy who loved hiking. Used to go with him every weekend. Started skipping for NFL Sundays. He stopped asking.

Don't even remember when we last spoke.

 

[CoachTony_Bets]

This is concerning to admit but yes.

I'm a high school coach so I have work colleagues. But outside work? My "friends" are betting people.

I used to have poker nights with college buddies. Started bringing up betting constantly. They got bored. Stopped inviting me.

Now my social life is this forum and a couple betting Discord servers.

That's not healthy.

 

[TaffyTipster]

My pub mates are all betting mates.

That's our whole relationship - watching matches and betting.

Do I know anything about their lives? Not really.

Do they know about mine? Probably not.

We know each other's betting opinions though.

Is that friendship? Don't think so.

 

[BetStorm_09]

I think betting can definitely shift social circles a bit. You naturally end up talking more with people who understand the swings, the bad beats, and the grind. At the same time, I’ve noticed it’s important not to let it become the only thing you connect over. Have you found it’s brought you closer to certain friends, or pushed some away?

 

[Betting Forum]

I think betting can definitely shift social circles a bit. You naturally end up talking more with people who understand the swings, the bad beats, and the grind. At the same time, I’ve noticed it’s important not to let it become the only thing you connect over. Have you found it’s brought you closer to certain friends, or pushed some away?

Closer to the wrong people and further from the important people but I taught myself to behave differently and fix it.

 

[ParlayPrincess_88]

I don't think I've lost friends?

But I do talk about betting A LOT and I can see my friends' eyes glaze over sometimes lol

Like I'll be excited about a parlay and they're like "that's nice" but clearly don't care

Maybe they're getting annoyed and I don't realize it yet?