03/21/2025
I've decided, with much consideration, that I'm stepping away and retiring as a sports handicapper. This decision did not come easy. I've been sports betting since 2017, and took my plays public in 2021 as online sportsbooks opened and became legal state by state. While I've enjoyed long term success and profits, the time commitment and dedication behind the scenes is much less to be desired.
Since our inception in 2021, I've profited $4,743.88 in sports bets. I've profited another $2,650.00 in bonuses, deposit matches, and etc bonuses from MGM. In this most recent session though, the profits have became flat. For 2025, my record across all sports was 98-99, the profit is under $100 for 2025. I had to take a step back and calculate that the effort and time in my life isn't adding up to the profits. I'd consistently spend about 18-20 hours a week doing research, updating bet statistics, refreshing analytics, calculating profits and individual betting records. It's safe to say that I have over 100 hours invested into the 2025 betting season which comes out to less than a dollar per hour.
I had to ask myself why my performance has trended downward. There's many reasons why: I got married, I've advanced in my career which has me taking on more responsibility at my job. I was fortunate enough to be able to tackle many of the behind the scenes work for my handicapping while on company time, and that just isn't realistic as I continue to grow in my professional career. Sports betting to me was always a side gig that I attempted to grow into something big.
While everyone with a smart phone and a couple dollars quickly tried the paid subscription route to make monthly revenue off their plays, I went the free route - with hopes that I could grow my business model through social media, podcasts and work on a tip system to generate revenue.
My model failed. At least for now. I failed at generating social media buzz with followers/likes/shares. I failed at launching an interactive and entertaining podcast. I failed at growing my business model. And I accept that.
So what's next? I'm going to stand back, and enjoy the rest of this march madness tournament (My bracket is winning every pool I'm in after day 1 - thanks McNeese and Arkansas for those upsets!), I'm going to enjoy opening day of MLB which was always my most profitable sport, as well as the Masters next month. While I'll always be a personal sports bettor, I'm not sure I'll ever be in a position to do it full time and take on the responsibility that it requires to operate every pillar of the model full time.
Maybe some day I can find someone to team up with and do a sports betting podcast, or team up with a handicapper who is already established who is looking for a panel of handicappers to jointly hand out daily plays. Of course if I see a bet that I really like, I'll share it on here for anyone who's interested in tailing, but the days of betting and posting 80-100 plays a month are gone.
Always remember to bet responsibly, bet for fun, and never bet more than you can afford to lose. I was fortunate to walk way on top, when so many thousands of bettors aren't in that position. There's no shame in walking away. Remember that.
JR
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