On March 11, ESPN debuted its first-ever program related to sports gambling, Daily Wager. According to one of its contributors, more is to come from the network.
Anita Marks, a former drive-time radio host on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore and a contributor on Daily Wager, told Glenn Clark radio on March 12 that the ESPNews arm of the network could be all gambling in a few years.
“The ultimate game plan is for ESPN to turn this into a gambling channel maybe in the next few years,” Marks said. “When I was growing up as a kid I used to watch football games with my grandfather. We’d sit there and we’d talk about the games and the lines. And around 12 o’clock in the afternoon, I was the one who called his bookie.”
Marks said expansion of the sports betting landscape is imminent. “I think within the next three to five years we are going to see an explosion where the majority of states in the United States will have legalized gambling,” she said. The reason, she said, is that wagering makes even dull games more interesting. “The only reason I’m going to even spend a minute on that game is I have Buffalo plus-3.5 on the road at Miami and, oh by the way, I have (Bills quarterback) Josh Allen rushing for 50 yards,” she said. “That’s the only way I’m watching that game. And I think the majority of the country agrees with me.”
Daily Wager airs weeknights on ESPNews 6-7 p.m. Once the football season the starts, the show will expand to Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will exclusively cover betting on college football, and Sunday will be the NFL, Marks said.
“For (Disney) to take a huge step forward in broadcasting on this platform and create a daily wagering show called Daily Wager is a really big deal for this company,” she added. “I’m really thrilled to be a part of it and on the ground floor.”
