difference between stocks and sports betting

[InRareForm]

Is there really a difference?

[Wild Cobra]

Yes.

The games in sports are seldom rigged...

[boutons_deux]

Yes.

The games in sports are seldom rigged...

the stock market, esp as played by hedge funds, quants, etc, is totally rigged against the munchkins.

eg, the astounding 30% returns by SAC Capital over a decade were based on insider trading, with SAC admitting to crimes, criminal investigations are continuing.

I doubt they'll bar Stephen A Cohen from the securities market, but if they did, he still has pocketed and will keep $Bs from criminal activity.

[boobie4three]

Losing money on stocks sucks.
Losing money betting sports sucks.
No, there's no difference.

[RandomGuy]

Is there really a difference?

Investing generally offers more predictable returns, and lets you mitigate different types of risks a bit better.

Sports betting, especially organized sports betting, is designed to always give a slight edge to the house to cover their costs and make profits, a bit like casinos.

The differences are subtle though. Some investments really do take on the characteristics of pure betting, e.g. naked credit default swaps (ref: AIG's investment arm)

You can make money at both, but you have to spend time and effort gaining enough knowledge to pick out the best bets.

Investing is a lot more complex.

Just my 2 cents.

Short answer:

A little bit of a difference, yes.