Like a lot of devs, sometimes I get an idea that won’t leave my head until I build it. That’s exactly what happened last weekend when I created The Bookie — a Discord bot designed to make sports betting with friends a whole lot more fun.
How It Started
The idea came out of a group chat with friends. We were talking trash (as usual) about our sports picks, arguing about who actually had the better record, and joking about “someone” needing to track it all. A few hours later, I was already working on a bot.
I didn’t want to make some overly serious analytics tool — this wasn’t about real money or gambling. It was about bragging rights. The goal was simple: make a bot that lets you log picks, track who’s winning, and spark even more friendly banter.
What The Bookie Does
I’ll skip the technical details (you can check those out on GitHub), but here’s the gist of what it can do:
- Track Picks: Add your sports bets and see how everyone stacks up over time.
- Rankings: Automatically shows a leaderboard so the top talkers can back it up with results.
- Friendly Trash Talk: The bot adds a little personality to the competition — because what’s fun without a bit of attitude?
- Easy Setup: Invite it to your server and get rolling in minutes.
It’s lightweight, straightforward, and designed to just work — no confusing commands or setup headaches.
The Bookie in Action
Here’s what it looks like when the bot is running in a Discord server:
The weekly recap keeps everyone updated on who’s crushing it and who’s… not. The trash talk is real:
And of course, you can track individual bets with full details:
Why I Built It
Honestly? I just missed that feeling of building something from scratch for fun. The Bookie was a quick, scrappy weekend project built purely out of curiosity and motivation.
And somehow, it’s already become a regular part of our group’s Sunday sports ritual.
Check It Out
If you want to give it a spin, it’s live at thebookie.bot. You can invite it to your Discord server, test it out with your crew, and start seeing who’s really the sharpest bettor among you.
I’d love to hear feedback, suggestions, or ideas for new features. If you try it out, let me know what you think — I’m always open to making it better!