a new “starting 5” email will be sent out every week 💪 

this week’s starting 5 @ betonu:

🗣️ Dillon debrief: the viral bet slip has evolved
 🎤 sharp business talk: Robinhood in the mix
 🧠 insightful insights: basic sports betting operator acronyms you should know
 💼 dope jobs: Social Media and Director roles available
 🐇 rabbit holes: a crazy story about art and gambling

_{👉 was this one forwarded to you from a good-lookin friend? join betonu so you don’t miss the next.}

🗣️ Dillon debrief

^{(where i pretend to be an opinion columnist)}

the “viral bet slip” has changed.

i just spent 2 minutes doing high-level research (aka scrolling the @br_betting feed) and noticed something. almost every slip getting posted and definitely the ones getting engagement are long shots.

this signifies a shift in what i have just now coined as “bet slip consumption”. we’ve moved from the Mattress Mack era (boy do i have stories!) of massive one-leg wagers to 10-leg lotto tickets.

people aren’t sharing bets for the bet. they’re sharing hope. the more unrealistic it is, the more viral it becomes. with 65% of twitter users under the age of 34, this confirms that lotto style shift that the sportsbook operators are seeing on their end as well.

🎤 sharp business talk

^{(money moves and industry conversations)}

i love the Robinhood app. i like that new players and respected businesses like Robinhood are stepping into the space. innovation is great for the industry.

i’ll have longer thoughts on prediction markets at some point, but my initial read is that a different kind of user will be interested in the product.

not the core players driving handle at traditional sportsbooks. i don’t see them as a threat to the existing operators and the UX is confusing for the average sports bettor.

most VIP level sports bettors, especially those who are non-coastal (CA/NY), havent even heard of prediction markets.

that said i’m super intrigued to see how this develops.

**also congrats to Robinhood and Bloomberg for listening to their PR/Legal teams and doing this entire 4 minute segment without saying the term “sports betting”. impressive stuff.

🧠 insightful insights 

^{(where business insights and sports gambling collide)}

everyone loves to throw around acronyms like they’re fluent. here are ones that you should actually know.
if you want to stand out in interviews, conversations, or just online, start with this glossary.

some of the basics

GGR = Gross Gaming Revenue
total amount wagered minus total amount won
aka what the book "wins" before expenses

NGR = Net Gaming Revenue
GGR minus bonuses, promos, and taxes
aka the actual revenue that matters internally

Hold = GGR ÷ Handle
the percentage the book keeps from total action
a higher hold does not always mean success

Handle = Total amount wagered
not profit, not revenue, just volume

CLV = Closing Line Value
the difference between the odds you bet and where the line closed
a long-term indicator of sharpness (not profit)

💼 dope jobs

^{(sports gambling industry jobs and jobs that are dope)}

🐾 foot-in-the-door roles

• Social Media Specialist - Fliff

• Social Media Manager - Digital Media Management

👴 cool unique roles for grizzled vets

• Director, Integrated Marketing - Underdog

• Director of Growth - Pikkit

• Finance and Operations Director - Kero Sports

🐇 rabbit holes

^{(fascinating articles and videos - some industry specific, some not)}

• 🎨 David Walsh’s Bet on Art & Gambling - great story

• 🏀 The NBA Ball That Players Hated - forgot about this in ‘06

• 👩‍💻 The Most Disruptive Startups From 2005-2010 - crazy to look back, Kazaa?!!

• 🐑 Cloning of Dolly The Sheep - they cloned a sheep in 1997!

  thanks for skimming 👋 follow me, Dillon, on LinkedIn for more words

🏀 reply if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered or just want to chop it up

we appreciate you letting us swish into your inbox today like Troy Daniels…

- Dillon & Jeremy (Team betonu)