The Psychology of Fantasy Sport: Why People Think, Pick, and Win

Few would disagree that sports have become a huge industry. They attract hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. Fans support their teams by watching the matches live or online. For this reason, there is no surprise that popular sportsmen have become idols for many people. Especially, for the younger generation. A lot of people would like to become professional footballers, cricketers, or baseballers as their idols. However, it is not always possible.

Luckily, we live in a modern world and you can accomplish pretty much anything with access to the Internet. In this article, we will review the Fantasy Cricket rules on Stumped and answer the most popular question: why do people play Fantasy Sports?

What is Fantasy Sport?

Fantasy Sport is a type of computer online or offline game where people can play their favorite kinds of sports. The main characteristic is that the players have the opportunity to assemble the team of real players. For example, football lovers can recreate a Barcelona football club with Lionel Messi as a captain. The teams that have been created by the users are now to compete with each other. Their performance is based on the scores and results of real sports teams and professional players.

Considering that a lot of people like to play Fantasy Sports to get an unforgettable experience, it has become a huge industry. For example, in 2015 is was established that fantasy games bring more than 2 billion dollars annually. In 2016, the number got even bigger and reached 8 billion dollars. From this perspective, there is no point arguing that Fantasy Sports have become an important part of the sports community in general. In a highly technological world with everything being done on the Internet, people are very interested in the opportunity to play virtual sports.

Why Do People Play Fantasy Sport?

There are many reasons people choose to become players of Fantasy Sports and spend their free time doing it. For some, it has even become a necessity. So why do they do it?

1. To Get the Real Experience

The most obvious and common reason for playing Fantasy Sport is because it is the next best thing to being a real sportsman. As we have mentioned, today professional sportsmen have become idols for many people. Considering that the majority of them will never be able to become a cricketer, footballer, or baseballers, Fantasy Sport created an opportunity to be one for a certain period of time. For that reason, people are ready to spend money and time playing Fantasy Sports as it gives them the satisfaction of becoming a professional player for a short time. For that same reason, people come back for more and play regularly.

2. It Is Interesting

The next reason people like Fantasy Sports is that they have a very interesting concept. Let’s use the example of Fantasy Cricket to get a better idea. First of all, it is important to realize that as the title indicates, it is a fantasy genre. It means that in the Fantasy Cricket game, real cricketers that play real sport can be used as players and assembled in teams. The players have the opportunity to choose any professional player, such as Virat Kohli, and he will become their character in the game.

The reason this concept is so unique is that the skills and performance of the real players influence the fantasy ones. For example, let’s review Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. They are the two best players in the world. Consequently, their performance in the fantasy game will be good and based on their real scores and achievements.

The same can be applied to any other sport such as football, baseball, or hockey. Fantasy Sport is a good simulator of a real thing and people love it.

3. Rivalry Aspect

The next reason people love Fantasy Sport is the opportunity to play online. As we all know, there are hundreds of apps that give you the chance to play football or hockey. However, Fantasy Sports create the possibility of assembling a virtual team with real players as characters and play with your friends online. As the fans of different cricket teams can be rivals in real life, the same happens during the game. This makes people come back more and more, spend time and money to get that feeling of winning and competition.

After determining what a Fantasy Sport is, it becomes pretty clear why so many people love it. It gives the opportunity to become a professional player and get the experience of the game for a while. There is no doubt that the industry will only grow and become bigger and better in the future.