Legalized Sports Gambling Is Still Debated in the United States!
This may come as a shock to people in the UK and around the world, but there is still debate about whether sports gambling should be legal in the United States. Let’s do a deep dive into this topic and explore why so much of America believes the rest of the world might be wrong.
I was recently told, “Gambling is ruining sports. Five years from now, it will be like WWE.” This comment, referencing wrestling, seems to suggest that games are being fixed. The issue of game-fixing will be addressed in another article, but not here. My first thought was that there must be a narrative suggesting that legalized gambling will increase the total amount of money being wagered. I understand this concern, but it is simply not true. Although there might be a slight increase in the amount wagered on sports, it’s not significant. The primary change lies in where the money is going. For decades, many people have used reputable offshore sportsbooks. So, the argument that gambling is “ruining sports” doesn’t make sense—why would it ruin sports now but not from the 1980s through today?
To clarify, many states in the U.S. have legalized sports betting, but not all. Here in Missouri, thanks to millions of dollars in advertising efforts funded by FanDuel and DraftKings, a bill to legalize sports betting narrowly passed by a margin of 50.5% to 49.5%. Missouri became the 39th of 50 states to legalize sports gambling.
The argument about addiction barely needs addressing because, as with anything, overindulgence is harmful. There are plenty of legal activities that can lead to addiction—alcohol, food, or prescription drugs, to name a few. While addiction is a serious issue, it’s not a valid reason to make sports betting illegal.
This brings us to the matter of integrity. A common misconception is that there was more integrity in sports in the past than there is now. The level of integrity, good or bad, remains constant; it’s just masked in different ways. The old days of abusive coaching practices from figures like Bear Bryant, Woody Hayes, and Bo Schembechler have been replaced by the transfer portal, where players now have more control. So, how does this affect modern sports gambling? The truth is, it doesn’t. People need to understand that the amount of money being wagered today isn’t significantly greater than in the past. The only difference is that states now have access to this revenue.
Professional sports have never been, and never will be, scripted. The same is true for college sports. In fact, there is now more oversight and control, making it even harder to manipulate games through bribery.
Sports would be far less popular without gambling. If sports gambling were ever severely restricted, the level of public interest in sports would drop significantly. Major League Baseball (MLB), for example, is already struggling with dwindling viewership. Its games are slow, and the playoffs are hard to find on TV. One reason for this decline is that the masses don’t generally bet on baseball. By contrast, football reigns supreme in America. It’s the most wagered-on sport in the United States. As a once-a-week event, it’s easy to follow, and fantasy football has become a massive gambling draw for the NFL. If all forms of football gambling were strictly prohibited, the sport’s popularity would take a major hit.
What drives leagues to flourish is engagement from passive fans. When casual viewers are involved, the billion-dollar industry continues to thrive. As more people in power realize the financial potential of sports gambling, they’ve begun offering worse odds to maximize profits. For instance, when sportsbooks provide odds of -120 or worse, making it nearly impossible to win consistently, they hurt the industry’s credibility. Instead of fighting the legalization of sports gambling, efforts should focus on ensuring sportsbooks provide fair odds.
In conclusion, sports will never become like professional wrestling. The legalization of sports betting brings significant revenue to communities. There’s a strong demand for it in America, and people will gamble regardless of legality. Making it illegal is a misguided, authoritarian stance. Without sports gambling, networks like ESPN and the entire sports media market would shrink significantly. Let’s hope America fully embraces the modern era, joining the rest of the world in recognizing the benefits of legalized sports betting.