Evaluating the influence of the Swiftie demographic on betting trends can be challenging, but as preseason approached, WIRED consulted with various sportsbooks, such as BetRivers, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rivalry. They acknowledged the tangible impact of the “Taylor Swift effect” and anticipated it would influence their operations throughout the season.
Tim Whitehead, head of sportsbook at BetRivers, summarized the situation. “As long as the world’s foremost pop icon is in a relationship with one of the NFL’s most beloved players, we’ll leverage that story to engage new audiences,” he shared in a statement to WIRED. However, even early in the season, despite ongoing strong bets on Kelce, the Swift effect appeared to have diminished. FanDuel reported that in two games early in the season, neither attended by Swift, Kelce’s teammates drew comparable betting attention. This month, a FanDuel spokesperson indicated to WIRED that interest in wagering on Kelce had “stabilized to match the betting levels of other prominent players on the Chiefs.”
Michael Naraine, an associate professor specializing in sport management at Brock University in Canada, attributes this trend to the overwhelming coverage of the US elections overshadowing news cycles and prop bets, alongside the couple’s relationship settling into a more predictable phase. “The T. Swift effect is still present, but it has certainly diminished over the past year,” he explains. “It’s not as newsworthy, it doesn’t have the same momentum, but it remains significant for the sportsbooks.”
A research study from the University of Queensland published in December found that nearly 90 percent of regular sports bettors in Australia are male, suggesting that historical dominance of physical betting environments by men has played a part, even though smartphones enhance access for female bettors. This trend is mirrored in the US, where only 28 percent of 2,000 surveyed sports bettors reported being women, according to a YouGov poll conducted last year. “It’s not shocking that betting platforms are keen to tap into this shift, targeting female audiences with novelty wagers like predicting how many awards Taylor Swift will take home at this year’s Grammys,” stated Rohann Irving, the study’s author.
Despite the notable focus on Swift by online sportsbooks since her association with Kelce, she represents just one element of a broader narrative betting wave emerging within the industry. Previously, betting narratives were primarily centered on underdog or champion athletes and teams. Now, the storytelling has broadened to encompass a variety of events, from the Oscars to the US presidential elections and reality TV competitions.
Jones from FanDuel emphasizes that serious sports gamblers typically disregard narratives like these. “They are more focused on factors like defensive and offensive matchups, weather conditions, and historical statistics; who the player is dating doesn’t factor in for them,” he states. Conversely, many casual bettors—who, according to Jones, represent “a significant majority” of FanDuel’s clientele—are drawn to narratives such as the Swift-Kelce relationship when placing bets.
Joshua Grubbs, an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of New Mexico who studies sports betting dynamics, noted via email that sportsbooks are clearly attempting to convert non-bettors into active participants. However, distinguishing whether Swift-themed bets represent a departure from typical betting promotions remains uncertain. “I can’t say that prop bets involving Taylor Swift are any less controversial than traditional prop bets, free bet promotions, or other marketing tactics,” he mentions.
For Grubbs, the central question revolves around the ethics of gambling advertising—a contentious debate that encompasses topics such as the permissibility of sportsbook promotions on television and their sponsorship of sports teams.
“Ultimately, we serve as content creators,” says Cooper of BetOnline.ag, highlighting the effectiveness of “click-baity” content. “When we identify a trending storyline, we naturally lean into that to reach a wider audience.”
Industry representatives expressed optimism for a resurgence in interest should Swift announce an engagement or a child with Kelce. “If Taylor Swift were ever to perform at a Super Bowl halftime show while the Chiefs participated, it would certainly break the internet and beyond,” Cooper declares.
