a new email will be sent out every Thursday 💪 

this week’s starting 5 @ betonu:

🗣️ Dillon debrief: why i believe sgp’s might actually be the most responsible way to bet. sounds backwards, but it’s not 😵‍💫
 🎤 sharp business talk: let’s talk about tax baby 🏦
 🧠 insightful insights: expand your Slack bag 🎒
 💼 dope jobs: sports betting researcher and NFL sales 🏈
 🐇 rabbit holes: Cassidy, Bones Hyland, Paul Graham (i have to be the first person in human history to put those 3 names together) 🎤

_{👉 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)}

why i believe SGP’s and lotto style sports betting is the most responsible way to bet

not to brag but i did skip 1st grade math so i get why this sounds wrong at first.

sgp’s have a higher hold and they lose more often. so most people assume that makes them predatory.

but i’m not looking at it from a margin perspective. i’m thinking about behavior and the psychology of gambling. what actually happens when someone places these bets.

from what i’ve seen working inside operators, most of the troubling user patterns come from people chasing. they increase bet sizes, double down, and bet live with emotion. that’s when it gets dangerous.

sgp heavy players usually don’t do that. they bet small, they bet for upside, and they stop. they don’t tilt as often. they’re not trying to grind or beat the system. they just want a sweat.

it reminds me of tournament players in dfs or poker. the upside is there, but the risk is fixed. you’re not going broke one bet at a time.

to be clear, this isn’t advice for sharps or people trying to make a career out of betting. if that’s you, your goals and bet types are different.

but for the casual or rec bettor, which is the majority, i think these bet types are often the safest.

high hold doesn’t always mean high risk.

(i’ll be interested to see what the data shows long term, especially with the next generation growing up with these bet types. i will say the most common response to my “things i believe” post last week was a disagreement on this topic. time will tell!)

🎤 sharp business talk

^{(money moves and conversations with industry professionals)}

it’s tax week!

the state of North Carolina just announced plans to double the tax rate on sports betting operators. going from 18% to 36%.

it seems like every state is at least pondering a tax hike.

it’s easy to think, why does this matter? f the books, am i right?!

well when taxes go up, margins go down. and when margins go down, operators are forced to spend less on promos and customer perks, less on marketing, and less on hiring.

this also affects market competition as smaller operators might not even bother launching.

sure, on the surface it looks like more revenue for the state. but in reality, it could slow down an industry that was just starting to build jobs, partnerships, and long-term impact.

🧠 insightful insights 

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

tips to expand your Slack bag: build clout and good vibes while working remote

1. promote other people’s work - gas em up

2. positive reinforcement is cool - “good job” and “thank you” goes a long way

3. treat Slack like your game tape - don’t become invisible

4. put context before content - don’t assume anyone knows what you mean

5. have fun with the written word - Slacking all day gets stale, entertain yourself and you’ll entertain others

6. provide unsolicited value - share interesting links and well structured ideas

💼 dope jobs

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

🐾 foot-in-the-door roles

• Customer Support Agent - Novig

• Part-Time Legalized Sports Betting Researcher - NFL

• Fan Happiness Associate - Gametime

👴 cool unique roles for grizzled vets

• Manager Sports Betting & Gaming - NBC Universal

• Regional Director of Player Development - Penn

• Head of NFL Sales Strategy - Amazon

🐇 rabbit holes

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

• ⚖️ The Brave New World Of Legalized Sports Betting - 2018 piece from GQ

• 🎧 Cassidy Freestyle 19 Years Ago - hotel, motel, holiday inn

• 🏀 Bones Hyland 1 v 1 Against Trash Talker - before the fame

• ✍️ Do Things That Don’t Scale - epic Paul Graham essay

  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 Jodie Meeks…

- Dillon & Jeremy (Team betonu)