Is Legalized Sports Gambling a Good Thing?
The rise of sports gambling is reshaping American sports culture.
By William Stanton
Sports, both professional and amateur, are integral to American culture. However, in recent years, the legalization and expansion of sports gambling have begun to shift the focus of fans from competition to profit. This change began on May 14, 2018, when the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Murphy v. NCAA that PASPA, a 1992 law prohibiting every state except Nevada from legalizing sports gambling, violated the Tenth Amendment. The decision allowed each state to set and enforce its own sports betting laws with no federal oversight, opening the floodgates to a widespread and booming sports gambling industry.
A Booming Industry
Since the Murphy decision, 37 states have legalized gambling on sporting events, and 30 states allow it online. In 2023, Americans wagered $119.84 billion on sports, and sports betting companies like FanDuel and DraftKings scored a record $10.92 billion in revenue. Year over year, more people bet money on sports, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down.
As revenue soars, the sports betting industry has integrated with top sports leagues and athletes—all parties recognize the huge profit opportunity that sports betting offers. The NFL and NBA both signed lucrative contracts with sportsbook partners, and high-profile athletes such as Tom Brady and LeBron James are regular promoters in sports betting advertising campaigns.
A Good Thing?
The pro-betting direction of sports is evident, but it is important to ask ourselves: Is this really a good thing? Do we want sports to descend into a medium through which we wager money?
I would answer in the negative: we should not want this.
The negative impacts of widespread sports gambling are abundant and often ignored. Addiction to all forms of gambling, including sports gambling, is very similar and can be just as powerful as an addiction to drugs or alcohol. Other highly addictive behaviors in society are either illegal, like cocaine or heroin, or highly regulated, such as alcohol or tobacco. But across most of America, sports gambling is neither.
A Dangerous Addiction
Not only is sports gambling legal, but it is also accepted behavior. Highlighting this disturbing development, gambling therapist Harry Levant described the state of sports gambling, stating:
“What we’re looking at is the total normalization of a known addictive product.”
I would say that most people in this country have a general understanding that substances like alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine can be addictive and come with serious risks, but most who get into sports betting view it as nothing more than a game. They have no idea that it can be just as dangerous as other forms of addiction.
While gambling can have negative impacts on all people, it is especially dangerous for young men. Among young adults who gamble, 14% of men reported gambling at problematic levels, compared to only 3% of women. When male proclivity for gambling becomes intertwined with sports, an industry in which men make up the majority of fans, the dangers of gambling skyrocket. At a time when young men are increasingly struggling financially, socially, and mentally, legalized sports gambling is becoming a dangerous yet normalized coping mechanism.
A Firsthand Account
As a twenty-year-old man, I have seen this problem firsthand. Many of my peers, especially those who grew up as big sports fans, have started betting on sports regularly, sometimes even daily. Conversations while watching live sports have shifted from who we want to win to constant discussions about everyone’s parlays and who can make the most money off the game.
This mentality is not only harmful to those drawn into frequent gambling but also to the sports industry itself. Sports have long been seen as a positive and wholesome form of entertainment, while things like casinos have carried a more negative reputation. It will take time, but if the sports industry continues down this path, its image as a healthy, fun source of entertainment will greatly erode.
A Vision for the Future
Thankfully, the degradation of sports is not a foregone conclusion. As lawmakers begin to recognize the harms of sports betting, there is hope that regulations will be reconsidered. While I am certainly not a supporter of big, overreaching government, I do believe it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from themselves in certain cases, particularly when it comes to addictive and harmful vices like sports gambling. If we are smart about it, there is still a chance to reverse this negative trend and preserve the integrity of American sports for generations to come.
About the Author
Bill Stanton is a junior at Grove City pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Data Science, with minors in Artificial Intelligence and Biology. In addition to serving as a Research Fellow for the Institute for Faith & Freedom, he is Vice President of the Crimson College Investors, Social Chair of the Beta Sigma fraternity, and a Statistics Teaching Assistant for Dr. Smith.
Bill is passionate about various topics, including individual rights and freedoms, fiscal responsibility in government, and the advancement of ethical AI for the betterment of society. He aspires to honor God through a career at the intersection of science and technology.
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