Press Releases
HowToBet.com Conducts Comprehensive IQ Study to Determine Which Sports Fans Are the Most Intelligent

In an effort to determine which sports fans are the most intelligent, HowToBet.com administered a remote IQ test to 1,006 U.S.-based fans of wrestling, hockey, basketball, football, baseball, and auto racing. The test was designed to evaluate verbal intelligence, mathematical ability, logical reasoning, and visual reasoning.
“As a team focused on producing content related to professional sports betting and college sports betting, one of the most engaging conversations we would find ourselves consistently having was the debate as to which sports fans were truly the most intelligent,” said Cristian Campan, Product Owner. “We began to wonder if there was a direct correlation between which sport a fan likes and their IQ. This is what inspired us to find an answer to our own question.”
The results of the test indicated that fans of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)Ā had the highest IQs of all sports fans, with an average score of 112.6. They were followed by fans of the National Hockey Association (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA), with these groups achieving scores of 112.3 and 110.7, respectively. The bottom three groups included National Football League (NFL) fans, with an IQ score of 105.9, Major League Baseball (MLB) fans, with a score of 101.3, and fans of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), who scored 95.2 on average.
HowToBet.com also identified which fans of individual teams and athletes scored the highest on the test. Fans of the WWE’s Roman Reigns had the highest IQs out of all participants, with an average score of 126.4. Hockey fans whose favorite team was the Boston Bruins topped the list of all NHL teams, with an average score of 120.3. The most intelligent NBA and MLB fans were also found in Boston, with supporters of the Celtics and Red Sox having achieved average scores of 115.2 and 106.2. Houston Texans fans proved to be the most intelligent NFL fans, with an average IQ score of 117.8
The analysis also showed that female sports fans tended to achieve higher IQ scores than their male counterparts on average, with women consistently outperforming men within the categories of mathematical ability and logical reasoning.
IQ, which is the abbreviation for “intelligence quotient,” is measured in the form of a structured test first popularized by French psychologist Alfred Binet. While there are multiple IQ tests that are currently in use today, most versions are designed to measure an individual’s reasoning and problem-solving skills. Typical components of an IQ test include math, language, reasoning, memory, and information-processing speed subtests. These subtests are scored individually and then combined for a final IQ score.
According to Semantic Scholar, the average IQ score of American citizens is 98, which is technically two points lower than the average universal score of 100. With five out of the six groups of sports fans in the HowToBet.com study achieving average scores of over 100, there is an argument to be made that those who spend time consuming sports-related content are more intelligent than the average American.
HowToBet.com launched the IQ study in an effort to highlight correlations between sports fans and intelligence, as well as provide newcomers to the gambling space with key online betting tips rooted in extensive research. The HowToBet.com team determined that increasing overall awareness, sharpening verbal intelligence and mathematical ability, and enhancing logical and visual reasoning skills can have a positive effect on an individual’s success with sports betting. These skill sets allow individuals to make better decisions, as they are far more likely to place bets based on accurate qualitative and quantitative data as opposed to other methods.
The HowToBet.com team encourages fans to challenge themselves with reading, writing, arithmetic, and puzzle-based tests to improve comprehension, lateral thinking, and creativity. These exercises can improve IQ, which may, in turn, have a positive impact on the approach fans take when placing bets.
For the latest NFL online betting trends, as well as betting tips across all professional major sports leagues, please visit HowToBet.com.
Central America
21VIRAL Boosts Latin American Reach Through Strategic Partnership with Virtualsoft

21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, has strengthened its expansion by signing an agreement with platform provider Virtualsoft
21VIRAL, a leading games aggregator for the Central and Latin American market, today announced a strategic agreement with prominent platform provider Virtualsoft, significantly strengthening its expansion across the region.
This collaboration will integrate 21VIRALās extensive portfolio of games into Virtualsoftās platform, providing enhanced content options for operators across key Central and Latin American nations. Virtualsoft is a key supplier with a strong presence in markets including Ecuador and Peru, delivering innovative gaming solutions to a diverse range of operators.
Christoph HƤrtel, CEO of 21VIRAL, commented: “Partnering with Virtualsoft is a pivotal moment for 21VIRAL as we deepen our engagement with one of the worldās most rapidly advancing online gaming markets. Virtualsoft underpins numerous leading brands in the region, and integrating our GameConnector solution will allow swift access to their operational brands. We look forward to working closely with Virtualsoftās talented team to deliver innovative and revenue driving gaming experiences.”
Alejandro Velez, General Manager at Virtualsoft, stated: “21VIRAL has a strong reputation for seamless integrations and profound expertise in the Latin American gaming market, making them an ideal partner for us. Together, we are streamlining operations and elevating the gaming experience for players, aiming to set new benchmarks for the industry.”
Compliance Updates
New Initiative from DI Council Aims to Enable Betting on Professional Sports

The Division I Council introduced a proposal that, if adopted in October, would change sports betting rules to permit student-athletes and staff members to bet on professional sports and refocus the Association’s enforcement efforts on college sports betting and behaviors that directly impact game integrity. If adopted, the change will be implemented only if Divisions II and III also vote to allow betting on pro sports.
The council’s introduction of the proposal,Ā which comes after a directive from the Division I Board of Directors in April that the council adopt changes to sports betting rules,Ā is not an endorsement of sports betting behaviors, especially for college athletes.Ā The NCAA’s prohibition against betting on college sports would remain in place, as would the prohibitions against sharing information about college events with bettors.Ā The NCAA also would continue to maintain its prohibition for NCAA championshipsĀ Ā against advertising and sponsorships associated with betting.
“NCAA rules prohibiting sports betting at all levels were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,” said Josh Whitman, athletics director at Illinois and chair of the council. “As betting on sports has become more widely accepted across the country, Division I members have determined that further discussion of these sports betting rules is warranted, particularly as it relates to the potential distinctions between betting on professional versus collegiate sports. Throughout our discussions, the council has remained focused on student-athlete wellness and educating student-athletes about the risks and potentially harmful impacts of betting.”
Current NCAA rules do not allow student-athletes or institutional staff to engage in sports betting at any level (professional, college or amateur) for any sports that have NCAA championships, and NCAA members have continually maintained that any betting by a student-athlete on his or her own team or own sport in college should continue to result in a permanent loss of any remaining collegiate eligibility. However, in 2023, Division I changed theĀ reinstatement guidelinesĀ for student-athletes who participate in sports betting on professional sports to focus on harm reduction for problematic betting behaviors.
“Deregulating professional sportsĀ betting may provide schools an additional opportunity to implement harm-reduction strategies, which can be more effective and have long-term benefits not seen with abstinence-only approaches. Harm-reduction strategies include education, stigma reduction and acknowledging actual behaviors,” said Dr. Deena Casiero, NCAA chief medical officer. “By meeting student-athletes where they are, schools may be more effective at preventing, identifying and supporting student-athletes with problematic gambling behaviors. Regardless of the change, schools are encouraged to use the many sports betting resources already available.”
The recently releasedĀ Harm Reduction Considerations for Gambling & Sports Betting in Collegiate Sports references available sports betting resources, including theĀ NCAA Mental Health Best Practices. Additionally, more than 100,000 student-athletes, coaches and administrators have been reached through the NCAA’sĀ education efforts with EPIC Global Solutions, and the NCAAĀ has launched an e-learning moduleĀ to educate student-athletes on problem gambling harms and the integrity risks associated with sports betting.
Several sports betting-related violations by staff members at NCAA schools have been resolved through the infractions process in recent years, and the enforcement staff is working on issuing Notices of Allegations in several ongoing cases that involve allegations of betting on professional and college sports by student-athletes and/or athletics department staff members at a handful of NCAA schools.
The proposed rule change would not be retroactive. If it is adopted, it would apply only to sports betting activities that occur after the effective date of the proposal.
“The enforcement staff’s sports betting-related caseload has significantly increased in recent years, and our staff ā including our new sports betting integrity unit ā has been effective in detecting and pursuing violations,” said Jon Duncan, NCAA vice president of enforcement.
The Association prioritizes competition integrity, which is vital to college sports. The NCAA uses a layered strategy to respond responsibly to the rise in sports betting across the United States by monitoring over 22,000 contests per year, advocating for limits onĀ Ā prop bets that pose heightened risks, reducing the potential for student-athlete abuse by aggrieved bettors, and creating greater transparency to assist with the timely investigation and resolution of integrity-related issues.
This layered approach includes the most recent agreement extension with Genius Sports to establish unprecedented betting restrictions on high-risk proposition bets. Sportsbooks licensing NCAA championship data must cooperate fully with NCAA investigations, including providing access to account data, financial history and geolocation records. This will allow the NCAA to work with the sportsbooks to gather detailed account information when harassers are identified to prevent repeat offenders from continuing to place bets across platforms, increasing safeguards to protect student-athlete mental health and well-being.
Latest News
Optimove and EveryMatrix Launch Real-Time Integration to Power Smarter Marketing for iGaming Operators

Optimove, the leader in Positionless Marketing, has announced a new integration with iGaming technology provider EveryMatrix.
EveryMatrix delivers modular and turnkey iGaming software, solutions, content and services across casino, sports betting, payments, and affiliate management to global tier-1 operators as well as newer brands.āÆThe integration enables shared operators to activate real-time marketing campaigns based on player behavior.
The collaboration introduces a custom integration allowing joint clients to stream real-time event data from EveryMatrix directly into Optimove. As part of Optimoveās platform, the integration empowers any marketer to launch personalized campaigns in real time, without dependency on technical teams. The result is faster execution, increased engagement, and higher player lifetime value.
āWe are confident that with EveryMatrixās powerful platform solutions, combined with our real-time capabilities, operators can realize a new level of speed and precision in marketing. This reflects the power of Positionless Marketing in action,ā said Motti Colman, VP Revenue, Gaming at Optimove. āWeāre giving operators the tools to act instantly on player behavior without waiting on analysts, engineers, or manual processes. Itās all about speed, personalization, and removing the bottlenecks that hold marketing teams back,ā he concluded.
With the integration now live, operators can leverage Optimoveās real-time capabilities to trigger automated campaigns based on deposits, withdrawals, game behavior, and more. This helps deliver contextually relevant experiences at the exact moment players are most likely to engage.
Immediate marketing benefits iGaming operators can realize include:
- Welcome offers following a first deposit
- Instant reactivation messages after session abandonment
- Real-time loyalty rewards based on gameplay milestones
āThis integration adds tremendous value for our operator partners,ā said Kevin Furlong, Group CPO, EveryMatrix. āCombining our robust gaming infrastructure with Optimoveās Positionless Marketing platform with its real-time marketing engine allows our clients to deliver deeply personalized player experiences, when they matter most.āĀ
The launch of real-time with EveryMatrix reflects the growing demand for agility and responsiveness in iGaming marketing. It also underscores the strength of the Optimove-EveryMatrix partnership and their shared commitment to helping operators deliver smarter, more dynamic campaigns.
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