Hot Athletes Are Winning the Bet Before the Game Even Starts

Money-related decisions should be made rationally. However, a recent survey from Casinos Analyzer paints a different picture - where as soon as attraction comes into play, decisions are driven by the level of hotness, per se.

Nowadays, bets are not only about rates or stats, but also about Instagram, sports crushes, or simply a "too hot to handle" moment. And if it didn't pose any risks before, data now shows that appearance is becoming a key factor in how financial decisions are made and is contributing to real financial loss.

Key findings

• 50% of women placed a bet because an athlete was hot
• 71% of men lost money choosing the hotter athlete over the better one
• 68% of women watched a game just because of a specific athlete
• 59% of men checked an athlete's Instagram before betting

The Real Reason Half of Women Are Placing Bets

The reasons behind betting are changing, and women are exactly the ones driving this shift. At first glance, it may seem like a part of fan culture, but in fact, it reveals a deeper mechanism. Almost half of female respondents admit that they placed a bet simply because the athlete seemed attractive.

Moreover, 64% of women have a sports crush on an athlete - compared to 52% of men. Emotional interest is taking over the sport itself, and it often becomes the trigger for decision-making logic. When you invest your energy, time, and sometimes even fantasy into an athlete, rational strategy takes a back seat, and the next natural step is placing a bet.

The Price of Picking Hot Over Better

At this stage, it still looks harmless. But here begins the real aftermath, showing where the true cost lies.

71% of women admit to losing money while choosing the most attractive over the strongest athlete in the game, a rate that, notably, matches men almost exactly at 71%. What separates the two is the motivation: women are significantly more likely to have had a sports crush, driving that decision in the first place.

It's turning into a pattern where attraction outweighs clear judgment. And it is this moment that shows that a "just for fun" attitude can quickly turn into real financial consequences.

Why Bettors Are Checking Instagram Before Checking the Odds

Another factor that slowly but surely impacts decisions is social media.

Before making a bet, both men and women check out the athlete's Instagram page — but in surprisingly different ways. 59% of men admit to checking an athlete's Instagram before placing a bet, compared to 50% of women. The decision is shaped not only on the field, but also in the feed.

The problem arises when we fall into an Instagram trap, where the image, rather than the effort in training or the actual chances of winning, starts playing a crucial role. Instead of assessing risk, we assess a vibe, and that changes everything about how people bet.

The Hottest Athletes in Sport, According to Bettors

Once decisions are shaped by an athlete's appeal, attraction itself becomes part of the choice. What feels like a personal preference turns out to be surprisingly predictable. Among both men and women, attraction gravitates toward the same sports and the same names.

Among women, American football players and soccer players dominate - with the U.S. ranking American football #1 and soccer #2, followed by basketball at #3. Men lean toward soccer #1, tennis #2, and swimming #3 .

And when it comes to names, the results are just as telling. Women's hottest athletes list reads like a hall of fame — Ronaldo, Messi, Beckham, and Jordan topping the charts as the most crushworthy names in sport. Men, in turn, gravitate toward the women dominating both the court and the conversation — with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Sophia Smith taking the top spots.

Methodology

To conduct this study, researchers from Casinos Analyzer surveyed 1,500 participants of all genders aged 21 and over in April 2026.