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Betting on Sports Gambling

12/28/2018

84 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

What skills did your parents teach you when you were growing up?  Maybe they showed you how to throw a baseball, ride a bike, or drive a car.  If Buffalo Wild Wings launches a major initiative it’s considering, moms and dads might start teaching their kids a whole new set of skills, like how to place bets on teams that will cover spreads in big games.
 
On May 14, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal law that largely outlawed sports betting, thereby giving states authority over such gambling.  Several states, like Delaware and New Jersey, quickly legalized sports betting, and many others are poised to follow suit.  It’s hard to imagine policymakers resisting the revenue potential sports gambling represents, which is the same reason Buffalo Wild Wings is considering adding gambling to its menu.
 
There’s certainly nothing wrong with businesses, including those in the highly-competitive restaurant space, looking for other sources of sales.  Furthermore, some restaurants, like Dave and Buster’s, have become successful by marketing experiences alongside entrées.  But, is playing arcade games the same as putting down money on NFL games?

Leisure is in many ways a personal preference.  Everyone needs to relax and refresh at times, in ways that work for them, so who’s to say someone is wrong to spend his/her free time and money reading books, riding bikes, watching movies, or wagering on the outcomes of soccer games?  If done in excess, most leisure activities could potentially be harmful, but gambling appears to carry a unique set of risks for the gambler and others:
  • Financial Risks:  Problem gamblers can easily fall into a downward spiral of debt, leading them to max out credit cards, fail to make mortgage payments, or even declare bankruptcy.
  • Relationship Risks:  Compulsive gambling can lead to neglect of children, fights with spouses, and divorce.
  • Health Risks: Problem gamblers often suffer from stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression, as well as related physical symptoms such as insomnia, high blood pressure, migraines, and heart disease.  Such individuals also are likely to use alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, or even commit suicide.
  • Job Risks:  Individuals with gambling problems are frequently absent from work and less productive when they are on the job, often because of their misuse of company time.
 
While most leisure activities tend not to become obsessions, gambling addiction is very real.  Studies have shown that those addicted to gambling exhibit many of the same behavioral and neurological symptoms that drug addicts experience.  What’s more, bookstores and bicycle shops don’t need to run disclaimers in their ads, “Have a reading addiction?” or “Biking problem?  Call . . .”, but casinos put disclaimers like this one on their websites: “Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER for help.”
 
The following statistics from Addiction Tips help put problem gambling into even clearer perspective:
  • Around 80 percent of the American population gambles in a given year.
  • About five out of 100 gamblers have a gambling addiction.
  • Of those age 14-21, 750,000 are addicted to gambling.
  • Most of those addicted to gambling are between the ages of 20 and 30.
  • Over 6% of students in U.S. colleges gamble regularly.
  • Gambling addiction is positively correlated with criminal activity, including violent crimes.

Gambling is a widespread and risky activity; however, the National Council on Problem Gambling acknowledges that “most adults who choose to gamble are able to do responsibly.”  With the legalization of sports betting, gambling activity is likely to explode, so why shouldn’t Buffalo Wild Wings add sports gambling to its menu?  That’s the question longtime ESPN host Mike Greenberg asked during an August 18, 2018 broadcast of his daily sports talk program Get Up!:
 
 “This doesn’t seem that complicated, unless I’m missing something . . . It seems like a lot more people will come [to Buffalo Wild Wings, if it adds gambling].  I don’t see any reason not to and I see every reason to . . . I am one who is in favor of gambling in a significant way, so I don’t see any downside to this.  Tell me what I’m missing if there is something.”
 
Here are some things that Greenberg may be overlooking about sports, gambling, and Buffalo Wild Wings:
 
  • Sports are extremely widespread:  There are over 440 internationally recognized sports and more than 8,000 indigenous sports, not necessarily recognized internationally. That pervasiveness means a virtually endless stream of easily-found betting opportunities.
  • Sports inspire passion among a very wide range of people:  Few things stir as much interest and excitement as sports, or enjoy such broad demographic appeal: men and women from toddlers to senior citizens love sports.  The 2018 Super Bowl drew over 103 million viewers in the U.S. alone, which provides some specific support of that extensive popularity. 
  • Gambling can be destructive and addictive: Several paragraphs above have already detailed many risks associated with gambling as well as its potential for addiction.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings is really big:  It’s the largest sports bar chain and the 17th largest restaurant chain in the U.S.  In 2017, it had sales of over $3.9 billion across 1,206 stores, which means Buffalo Wild Wings could expand sports betting across the country about as fast as any company  could.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings targets families:  The firm’s website suggests “Wednesday is for Family,” while promoting $2.99 kids’ meals from 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm from its seven-item, customizable kids’ menu.  Customers also perceive the restaurant as family-friendly, posting online comments like “Yes, this place [is] definitely suited [for] families,” “Fun sports environment with fun bar atmosphere and family restaurant at the same time,” and “an awesome family friendly restaurant.”
  • Buffalo Wild Wings targets college students:  The chain currently offers special promotions with 16 different universities, including the University of Alabama where football fans can get a free order of snack-size wings if Alabama records three or more sacks in a game.  A Google search of “Buffalo Wild Wings student discount” returns numerous hits of other college and universities that have negotiated special student discounts, such as one giving students at Northern Michigan University 10% off food items on Thursdays.  Also, the website Student Discount Program calls Buffalo Wild Wings “the ultimate place to get together with your friends, watch sports, drink beer and eat wings.”
 
Certainly, there are many people who gamble without causing serious harm to themselves or others.  Unfortunately, there also are 5 -7 million Americans, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, who meet one or more of the diagnostic criteria for pathological gambling, thus experiencing at least some of the undesirable outcomes mentioned above.  These numbers are likely to increase dramatically, as more states legalize betting on activities that have some of the broadest and most impassioned followings—sports.  People who don’t already gamble are probably more likely to start if they can bet on something they enjoy and understand.  For many people, that something is sports.
 
Because of its size and influence with sports fans, Buffalo Wild Wings would accelerate the growth of sports betting like few other companies could, should it choose to move forward with gambling.   However, that probability is only one concern.  Another is the impact Buffalo Wilds Wings would likely have on young people and their betting behavior.
 
As described earlier, Buffalo Wild Wings targets college students, many of whom love sports and already gamble.  These coeds will be easily won over to sports betting, although they can ill-afford it, both because of time (many should study more) and money (many college students have considerable debt).  However, an even younger demographic is at risk, should Buffalo Wild Wings begin sports betting.
 
As mentioned above, the chain also targets families with young children.  While it’s unlikely that any kids would place wagers at the restaurant, children do carefully observe and emulate the behavior of adults.  It’s sad to imagine so many children, most of whom love sports for the pure joy of playing or watching, being socialized into gambling on games.  Greenberg's Get Up! co-host Jalen Rose aptly expressed this sentiment as he said, "I don't want my grandpa teaching me about gambling at [age] seven."

 
It will be hard for Buffalo Wild Wings or any organization to resist the revenue that can come from entering the growing market for sports gambling.  Hopefully, however, the restaurant chain will recognize the unique influence it wields, especially on the lives of young people, and avoid betting on a strategy that can be considered “Single-Minded Marketing.”


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84 Comments

Mailing Away Your DNA

12/14/2018

7 Comments

 
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by David Hagenbuch, founder of Mindful Marketing & author of Honorable Influence

Looking for a unique gift for a family member this holiday season?  Have you thought of surprising them with the ‘gift of ancestry’?  DNA testing has become increasingly easy, popular, and affordable, but do the benefits of sending one's saliva for genetic analysis outweigh the costs?
 
The market for genetic testing exploded in 2017, and it keeps growing.  Some predict sales of over $22 billion by 2024,  driven by top competitors like 23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage DNA, and Living DNA.  Over 12 million people already have had their DNA tested.
 
What exactly does DNA testing do?  It depends on the test, of which there are three main types:
  • Autosomal:  Both men and women can take this test, which estimates an individual’s ethnicity and cousin matches on both maternal and fraternal sides over about 5 to 6 generations.
  • YDNA:  Only men can take this test, which tracks Y chromosomes passed from fathers to sons over many generations.
  • mtDNA:  Both genders can take this test, which examines genetic markers only along mothers’ material lines, and also provides the user’s haplogroup.
 
Autosomal tests appear to be the most popular of the three, as they’re the ones we most often see advertised, with consumer-friendly price points between $49 and $99.  These tests are good at helping users fill out their family trees.  AncestryDNA, for instance, claims it can search for relatives of the test taker among its 10 million-person database and promises to “confirm ethnicity percentages and close relationships with a high level of accuracy.”
 
AncestryDNA is also able to help users see migratory patterns through its Migrations tool.  This feature identifies a subject’s ancestors “associated with one of more than 300 genetically based communities in the years between 1750 and 1850” to determine migration paths in the U.S. and overseas.
 
Some autosomal tests have pushed the information envelope even further by providing health reports.  For example, 23andMe’s Health+Ancestry test informs users of whether they appear to be a carrier for more than 40 genetic conditions, it provides insights on genetic-related wellness indicators such as lactose intolerance, and it identifies genetic risks for things such as Parkinson’s, late-onset Alzheimer’s and Celiac disease. 
 
People who purchase DNA tests certainly receive unique information that’s at a minimum entertaining, if not educational and possibly helpful in addressing potential health problems.  Considering how much many consumers spend on a dinner out, a concert, or a ballgame, a genetic test seems like a pretty good deal.  However, there are potential costs for DNA testing beyond the initial cash outlay.
 
Perhaps the biggest nonfinancial cost is the risk of lost privacy.  Genetic testing companies seem to have safeguarded customer information so far—there’s yet to be a major data breach—but the potential risk from carelessness or maleficence is considerable according to New York Senator Chuck Schumer (D), who contends: “Now, this is sensitive information, and what those companies can do with all that data, our sensitive and deepest information, your genetics, is not clear and in some cases not fair and not right.”
 
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) appears to share Schumer’s apprehension as evidenced by its investigation of the data policies of 23andMe and Ancestry and by the following statement: “A major concern for consumers should be who else could have access to information about your heritage and your health.”
 
What exactly are the risks of misappropriated DNA data?  One possibility is that some organizations may conduct controversial research such as looking for connections between race and intelligence.  Although such risks for entire people groups are probably few, there are many risks that could impact specific individuals.
 
This past spring, California detectives revealed that they tapped a public genealogy database to break the longstanding case of the Golden State Killer, identifying suspect Joseph James DeAngelo.  Although few may object to the use of public DNA data to catch a serial killer, the possibility of government accessing such information for other reasons gives many people pause.
 
For instance, what if police were to use genetic information to predict those likely to commit crime, along the lines of the 2002 sci-fi thriller Minority Report?  Such use is farfetched, but it’s not unreasonable to imagine public officials employing DNA data to identify government protestors or others who reject their policies.
 
Perhaps even more realistic is the possibility of businesses leveraging DNA data for profitability purposes.  Life insurance companies, for example, might analyze genetic information in order to determine if someone is a good policy risk.  Likewise, any company could take a similar tack in deciding whether to hire a prospective employee.
 
But, do these risks really exist if companies safeguard users’ data and only share it  in anonymous form?  First, an endless series of high-profile data breaches suggests that hackers are capable of penetrating the defenses of the largest and seemingly most secure organizations.  Second, when people submit genetic tests, they often provide information that allows for individual identification, e.g., age, gender, address.  Third, police and government might pressure companies to share their DNA data.
 
Why, then, do people continue in droves to mail their DNA to genetic testing companies and why do most of those users agree to share their DNA with the firms’ research partners.  Maybe consumers don’t have a good understanding of the risks.  More likely, they recognize that the potential risks are very remote, while the benefits they receive are very real and meaningful, for instance:
  • Knowing one’s family history:  It can be deeply satisfying to learn things about one’s ancestors and the places from which they came.  That kind of information often helps us better understand ourselves.
  • Realizing potential health risks:  Of course, it’s important not to obsess about such risks; however, such knowledge can be a very helpful lens through which to view our bodies and perhaps take preventative steps 
  • Reuniting with lost family members:  This benefit doesn't apply to most genetic test takers, but some have discovered lost siblings and other relatives through the process.  
 
Life is full of risks—much of what we do to survive and thrive involves deciding which risks are worth taking.  Perhaps the risks of DNA testing will increase over the coming years.  Right now, though, the risks seem remote while the benefits are real, which makes it easy to understand why so many people take genetic tests.  It also makes it reasonable to suggest that the firms offering the tests are responsible for “Mindful Marketing.”


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    David Hagenbuch,
    founder of
    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

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