Q & Eh: Miranda Gagnon

When we brought together our gang to start this merry little venture, he did so having the instinct that the legalization of single-event sports betting by this member of the British Commonwealth (sorry, Harry and Meghan) would entice new followers of sport.

So, to please the boss, your humble correspondent sought to speak with someone who fit the mold (or came close enough to doing so, and wouldn’t charge a fee for being interviewed). Enter Miranda Gagnon, a senior UX designer at Huge Inc., who, when she’s not laser focused on user experience, uses her analytical skills to place the odd wager on a game.

Our discussion included Gagnon’s thoughts on how she will be affected by legalized single-event betting, and taking a detour towards another form. . . . or should we say forum . . . . for betting.

The Parleh: How did you make your entrance into sports betting and gaming?

Gagnon: For most of my life, it was never something I thought about. I don't watch sports, to the point where if you ask me who the quarterback of such and such football team is I wouldn't even be able to tell you. That wasn't my interest. But I was working at Huge and there was a group of dudes that were really into sports betting and they asked me to join their basketball (March Madness) pool. I was like “I don't know what I'm doing, but you know what, I'm going to just try this”. And so that was my first way into it. I never watched any of the games but what I would do is research and go into the stats because of my background in economics. I loved doing math and numbers, and so I placed a lot of my bets that way and I actually did quite well. I ended up winning the pool even though I watched no games.

Then, my brother introduced me to a platform called Sports Interaction and that's where I've been placing the majority of my bets. I never place big ones just because I still consider myself like a learner. I want to learn more because it's really fun.

The Parleh: So you moved from playing pools to actually betting?

Gagnon: Yes I started just playing pools with colleagues and friends, and it was for fun. Then my brother introduced me to a platform called Sports Interaction and that's where I've been placing the majority of my bets. I never place big ones, just because I still consider myself a learner and I want to learn more because it's really fun.

The Parleh: When you talk about stats, where did you find them?

Gagnon: When I initially started I didn't even know where to start, so I started researching who the prominent voices were in the industry (a lot of them were based in Vegas). They would link out to a lot of their sites or a lot of the research that they've done and I would dig into their numbers.  I just place my bets based on which voices I thought were tending to help me win more games. Now that I'm a little bit more familiar with it, I'll start watching line movements and things like that, and try to learn what those mean in terms of where I should be placing my bets.

The Parleh: Can you give us a few names or specific places that you went to for information when you first started?

Gagnon: I watched this documentary on sports gambling and legalization in the U.S. - I can't remember what it was called now. It was on Showtime. And there were a lot of voices in there. I loved Jimmy the Greek, and there's a female sport bettor that I found really inspiring . . . . Kelly in Vegas. I started following her on Instagram and I just thought her story was so cool. Like me she didn't really watch sports but she just got into sports betting and created her own YouTube show and she was a female voice in the industry. Nobody really respected her at first but then they started noticing she actually knows what she's talking about and she's placing good bets. So she's garnered a lot of respect and so for me, she's someone that I would look to (for betting information).

The Parleh: What’s the craziest prop bet you’ve made on the Super Bowl, or anything else?

Gagnon: Aren't they all kind of crazy? I will say I recently bet on some Bachelorette contestants which have been folded into Sports Interaction now. I think the concept of betting on reality TV is amazing.

The Parleh: So are you betting on who's getting kicked off the island?

Gagnon: Right, or who's going to say this or who's going to turn out to be crazy. And the fact that they recognize there's a market for that out there, and it's attracting obviously females like me and there's  a lot of people doing Bachelorette pools and things like that so in addition to betting on live sports, why not bet on live TV?

The Parleh: What kind of bets do you place now? Which sports?

Gagnon: For me football is the most fun. There's a lot of information out on football so for someone who doesn't watch sports avidly that was a great place for me to start. And then I do some basketball. And I will bet on hockey; it will never be a bet to win or something I'm actually looking to make money on, but I'll place fun bets if I'm at a live game.

The Parleh: What types of bets did you make on this year’s Super Bowl?

Gagnon: Oh my God, I love the prop bets. I love celebrity culture so anything to do with performers like the length of the anthem or things like that, I'm all over it.

The Parleh: Would you bet more money on the Super Bowl than any other single event?

Gagnon: Probably, because I'm reading more about it at the time. I would love to be a more regular bettor and I feel like I'm getting to that point now but because I'm just learning. I tend to do major sporting events because there's just so much information.

The Parleh: Will the passing of Bill C-218 make it easier for you to bet?

Gagnon: Yes, because I would feel a little bit more comfortable. I also wonder if there would be more people - like more of my friends doing it, or more people I know in my community doing it. I think most people I know who still place bets on OLG and sports bets in canada go through the typical parlay ticket. Some of the people I talk to don't even use the online (sites) so I think it would just get more people involved and maybe make it a bit more fun - you could just do it off the cuff like at the dinner table.

The Parleh: When you read about Bill C-218 and single-event sports betting being legalized in Canada, what are you thinking?  

Gagnon:  I'm so excited.  it's a long time coming, and (Parleh promo alert) I'm really excited by what you guys are doing as well because as somebody who is new to sports betting I love hearing from experienced voices and hearing what people say. And I also truly would love more educational content coming out of Canada because a lot of the educational stuff I read obviously comes out of Vegas. Having some Canadian voices would be so cool and maybe there would be more hockey coverage. It's true that you do scream louder and cheer harder when you have money on a game, and honestly, as someone who's not a sports fan, it does make sports more exciting.

The Parleh: When you say you're excited about single event sports, what is it that makes things different that's going to supplement what you're doing right now?

Gagnon: I just think you have a better chance of winning, so you're more likely to place bets that will make you money as opposed to having to win a ticket where you have to win all three games. It's at a point where now I can actually place good bets because parlays are so hard to win. It's not as fun because I know it's a longshot, whereas if I can bet on a single event, I'm all of a sudden now going to be more likely to place those bets.

The Parleh: Is there any attraction for you to get involved with in-game betting?

Gagnon: Absolutely I would love that.  And again, it just allows for more opportunities to make money. Like maybe I won't bet on a total, maybe I'll bet on a half because I'm more confident in that. The more granular we can get - similar to the (U.S.) - the better it is.

The Parleh: Why would you prefer to sign up with a legal sports book?

Gagnon: Because of the regulation. Because it's going to be easier to get my money out. I can be more confident in that.

The Parleh: What’s the most frustrating part of sports betting today?

Gagnon: Getting my money out. First of all it's an American account. I had to go through an extra process because I was in Canada. It was all backwards, so I didn't put that much money in. It's just confusing and I would way rather be more direct . . . . to be able to withdraw my money whenever I want because I think the assumption is that a lot of people keep their money in there and they want to grow their money . . . so they'll re-bet with their winnings.

Sometimes I just want to take my winnings out and have fun with them. Keep it simple like an e-transfer and I would feel more confident placing large bets and taking money out if I knew it was regulated. Like right now I think with the amount of money I have in there is probably $25 because I'm fearful of anything getting stolen. So for me I'll bet $2 here and then I'll see it double or whatever. I would never think about putting $100 in there because it scares me, so I think if it was legalized I would feel a lot more confident in doing that.

The Parleh: What does a second-screen experience look like for you as a sports bettor in a regulated world?

Gagnon: I would love to see stats change live. I would love to see odds update live. Like for it to be as good as some of the other apps I've seen would be amazing on the OLG app. I would also love the ability to connect with friends. One thing that's missing is my brother and I will sometimes bet on the same game and we'll watch it but I can't see what he's doing and he can't see what I'm doing until the end of the game or unless we text each other about it. I would love to see how I’m doing in the current game versus him . . . . Am I winning or did he place better bets tonight? Regardless of the amount of money placed, just like who's winning more?

The Parleh: What about women betting on sports. . . and betting on women’s sports?

Gagnon:I'd love to see more females get involved. I actually think my girlfriends would have so much fun with this. If we can remove the barrier of saying you don't need to know what all these calls, etc. are about  to get involved,  that would just make it so much more fun and inclusive for us. It feels like such a male-dominated space. Even at work when I talk to my colleagues it's all males mostly who are on the betting channels, so it’s awesome when I win the pool (laughing).

As for betting on women’s sports, that would be brilliant.  I would love that. Also, bringing in bettors would be a great way to get more people watching those games.