New research suggests the process of engaging with live sporting events has incorporated online sports betting in almost every market, with almost a quarter of adults in some regions placing a bet in the last year. Game day engagement has transformed to include in-play betting and real-time social reactions, memes, and user-generated content across social channels and chat feeds. Fans respond to every real-time change in a match and in-and-out live betting odds and memes, making the process of online betting and viewing an intricate and seamless cultural experience that provides an abundance of both information and entertainment.

Sports fans and spectators today have new methods they interact with sporting events while expanding their ritualistic practices. Phones go off with new betting odds, group chats fill with messages, and most likely, a controversial meme has just been created.

The new form of live betting, paired with the online culture have created a new experience that eclipses the conventional experience of attending a sporting event. This new form of betting, online betting, and impulse reactions have changed the overall experience.

From halftime highlights to instant cash-out screenshots

The newest Betway sports betting features allow users to react to live events and place bets in real-time. Users place bets after each event occurs (goal, turnover, red card, etc.) instead of having to bet before the event, like in traditional pre-match betting. This type of betting is done via in-play betting, which means they can set a wager or cash out after each event occurs. This type of flexible betting is an increasingly popular means of wagering.

Reports show that almost 22% of the US adult population aged 21 and older has placed bets on sporting events, and that number is higher among younger adults. Over 70% of online bets (30% of the total sport-related bets during the surveyed time) are placed via mobile devices. Reports show that people prefer watching live events to place their bets (Gambling Insider, 2025).

Live offers give fans a chance to answer questions like who scores next, or who has the score of the next quarter. This offers new meaning to fans. It has changed from watching a game to watching a live show where the result is changing with each play, and captures the attention of social media and the live trolls.

When sports fans became part-time analysts and full-time meme lords

Game day has changed from cheers and groans of the family to memes and images of winning bets or lost bets. Research has shown that about 65% of betting audiences do so while engaging in live sports (Global Growth Insights, 2025). Live betting is heavily mobile-oriented and is streamed alongside social media, where the betting audience is highly engaged.

The experience of watching the event live and sharing the experience with others is part of the allure. A close call is a chance to make a funny joke or create a meme of the event. Winning an in-play wager can be celebrated with a screen grab that is texted to the group. This combination of chatting while watching with live-betting options offers a unique experience that keeps consumers engaged.

Constructive criticism and meme creation from sports fans

Before, watching sports was a very uninterpreted experience. Now, every moment is packed with memes, commentary, and predictions. Reaction videos, memes, and commentary can be seen on even the most obscure moments of a match. Betting information and data are researched so that ‘fans’ can put money on the bets they feel most confident in. It is hard to find chats that contain commentary or tactics.

The way in which the public consumes media associated with live events has changed and continues to shift to accommodate a variety of different interactions. Participants engage with a live event through the use of timelines to access real-time statistics, odds, and commentary. This makes watching an event so much more than just an observation. It is an active engagement in a continually evolving participatory story.

The emergence of multi-screen engagement during live events

Viewers and participants used to only focus on the venue or viewing device to watch the event. Now, attention is split between the viewing device and a phone or tablet to watch the event, make bets, chat, or engage with memes.

Analysts have noted mobile devices operating as a second screen for participants during a live sports event, and for the purpose of interaction and betting, as well as for score checking. This has become so commonplace that many media companies adjust their coverage to accommodate this behavior. Rather than providing participants with a score, they feed participants into a more expansive ecosystem of reaction and interaction.

Both mobile betting and memes embrace the immediacy of the moment. Meme betting allows people to react creatively to what just happened, and what just happened in the game might raise or lower the odds in real-time. This is a natural cycle of engagement through memes and betting.