Amid a tsunami of hyperbole occasioned by a 1970s Super Bowl, Duane Thomas, a talented NFL running back, and no slouch as a philosopher, asked: If its the ultimate game, why are they playing it again next year? This Super Bowl Sunday 60 minutes of football slathered with patriotic treacle and surrounded by examples of this commercial republics distinctive craft (commercials) will be the ultimate (until next year) eruption of sports betting. Sundays game will be played, appropriately, in Las Vegas.
At the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, a study for the American Gaming Association predicted that almost 50 million adults would bet on NFL games online, at a casino sportsbook, or with a bookie. Fifty million are expected to bet one of those ways on Sundays game, 38 million of them online.
Television advertisements for online betting services (FanDuel, DraftKings, etc.) seem as ubiquitous as cigarette commercials were until they were banned to protect people from themselves from an addictive and harmful habit. One should avoid language that medicalizes too much of life, but gambling unquestionably can be addictive. The thrill of risk, and of winning, can trigger dopamine and endorphin surges. And today cravings for more can be satisfied by using devices in most pockets and purses: Smartphones enable dumb decisions.
Time was, some people took the risk of gambling because, well, why not? Simply living involved multiple omnipresent risks poverty, disease, wolves, brigands. Perhaps today many people gamble (or ride roller coasters) because everyday life lacks the intense experience of risk. Such gambling is not a degenerate quest for wealth without labor; it is a lust for limited risk without serious danger.
But a real danger exists. Ben Krauss, writing for the Slow Boring blog, cautions that for some people gambling is so highly addictive that psychological and physiological processes displace actual decision-making. This is especially so when bets are made during in-game excitements a form of intense fan engagement from which teams profit. The $2 billion spent advertising online gambling is, Krauss says, working: Since 2018, $220 billion approximately the annual gross domestic product of Nevada has been wagered in legal sports books, with the annual total increasing by an average of 22% year over year.
Krauss notes that some states have tried good luck with this banning sports gambling advertisements reaching people under 21. Or banning celebrity endorsements of such gambling. The Supreme Court, upholding Puerto Ricos ban on casino advertising, held that reducing gambling is a legitimate government interest.
But gambling is not dangerous the way smoking is: Cigarettes, the focus of a concerted public health campaign for six decades, are harmful when used as intended. For most who bet, their pastime is harmless, and we should not constrain a large majority to protect a relatively small minority from what is called a disorder of impulse control.
In 2017, Commissioner Roger Goodell said: We are not changing our position as it relates to legalized sports gambling. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prevented states from permitting sports gambling. Why not, when 45 states and the District of Columbia run lotteries? Today, there is a sportsbook in the Washington Commanders FedEx Field.
Gambling was long considered a sin. Massachusetts Puritans passed a law against it in 1638, and in 1935, Grand Rapids, Mich., jailed a woman who organized bingo games to support a Catholic charity. Today, promoting gambling is a social policy. Actually, it always has been. The Jamestown settlement, the Continental Army, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton and many other institutions and public works were financed at least in part by lotteries.
Today, gambling is mainstream in a nation with about 1,000 casinos, a $9 billion online betting market and sports media chattering earnestly about point spreads. Disney-owned ESPN et tu, Mickey Mouse? has an online betting brand, ESPN Bet.
Speaking of impulse control disorder, Super Bowl Sunday is the second-most high-calorie day (after Thanksgiving) in a nation whose obesity epidemic is producing many men and women shaped like NFL interior linemen. The ultimate game is the national campfire around which gorging Americans gather annually. When this years fire is extinguished by a merciful final tick of the game clock, the winner will be: America. It will have a year to recuperate from a day of wretched excess, and only two days to wait until it hears the loveliest four words in the English language: Pitchers and catchers report.
Read more here:
Opinion | The ultimate Vegas wedding: The Super Bowl and sports betting - The Washington Post
- 38 states rake in millions in sports betting while Oklahoma still waits for legalization - KOKI FOX 23 TULSA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports Betting Scandals Are Piling Up. What It Means for Gambling Stocks. - Barron's - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting: How gambling can impact the integrity of the game - WRAL News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- A new coalition wants to address the risks of youth sports betting in Massachusetts - Boston Herald - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- A Better East Texas: Professional sports betting scandals - KLTV - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting won't be legal in Georgia after lawmakers couldn't agree on how to spend taxes - goskagit.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting bill will help MN veterans, charities - ECM Publishers - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting won't be legal in Georgia after lawmakers couldn't agree on how to spend taxes - Bowling Green Daily News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- NCAA set to push states with legalized sports betting to ban prop bets for all college sporting events - Yahoo Sports - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting addiction on the rise - Toledo - WTVG - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Pritzker eyes bigger piece of Illinois sports betting action after 4 booming years - WVIK - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- All Eyes on Georgia Sports Betting During Final Legislative Day - Sports Betting Dime - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Best North Carolina sports betting promos for UNC vs. Alabama in Sweet 16: Claim thousands in NC sportsbook ... - Sporting News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- South Carolina Sports Betting 2024: Best SC Sportsbooks - The Hudson Reporter - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- A Better East Texas: Professional sports betting scandals - KTRE - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting hits ground running | wltx.com - WLTX.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- North Carolina reports nearly $200m in handle in first week of legalized sports gambling - EGR Global - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- I got over 100 messages telling me I suck: UNC basketball star concerned with hate messages after sports betting takes off - WGHP FOX8 Greensboro - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Fanatics replaces PointsBet in Kansas - Sports betting - iGB - iGaming Business - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting addiction on the rise - Wichita - KWCH - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- 'March Madness' Sports Betting Is Big Business - Investopedia - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Get $250 in bonus bets for UNC vs. Alabama with this NC sports betting bonus before tonight's 9:39 p.m. ET tip-off - syracuse.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- IGA executive director confident of California sports betting with tribal help - iGaming Business - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Georgia Sports Betting Legislation Fails Once Again - Winners and Whiners - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports betting won't be legal in Georgia after lawmakers couldn't agree on how to spend taxes - The Caledonian-Record - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports Betting Scandals: Ohtani Fallout and NCAA Prop Betting Ban - SportsGrid - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports gambling has gotten out of control - The Philadelphia Inquirer - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Best Sports Betting Apps in the US in March 2024 - Gaming Today - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Survey finds majority of Canadians want immediate nationwide sports betting ad ban - EGR Global - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Authorizing sports betting in Georgia may lack needed votes from lawmakers - goskagit.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sports Betting is coming to NC in one month - WWAY NewsChannel 3 - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- $3.5 million wagered across Maine in first Super Bowl since launch of online sports betting - Maine Public - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sports Betting Bill Clears Another Missouri House Committee - Covers - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- I-TEAM: Sports Betting/Online Gambling Addictions growing on CT college campuses - Eyewitness News 3 - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Ohio gamblers place more than $7.6B in bets in first year - Dayton Daily News - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sports betting in Minnesota: What are the odds it becomes legal? - KARE11.com - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- North Carolina Issues First Batch of Sports Betting Licenses to Suppliers - Covers - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Kentucky cover the spread vs. Ole Miss? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WYMT - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- NFL Playoffs Fuel Record-Breaking Contributions From Maryland's Sports Betting - Bay Net - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Louisville cover the spread vs. Boston College? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WYMT - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- BetMGM and X Sign Exclusive Sports Betting Partnership - PR Newswire - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Gambling disorders on the rise nationwide after legalization of sports betting - Q2 News - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Why US sports betting could become a $45 billion business - Goldman Sachs - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Colorado State cover the spread vs. San Diego State? Betting Trends, Record ATS - Wyoming News Now - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Michigan cover the spread vs. Illinois? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WLUC - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Are the Suns favored vs. the Kings on February 13? Game odds, spread, over/under - WYMT - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- With three months in the books, Maine sports betting readies for Super Bowl - Press Herald - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sports betting is coming to X as Musk's site partners with BetMGM - Washington Times - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Hard Rock Bet Promo Code: Sign Up And Claim $100 In Bonuses - RotoWire - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will North Carolina cover the spread vs. Syracuse? Betting Trends, Record ATS - KNOP - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- State Rep. Blackshear: 'Nave' to think sports betting isn't already taking place in Alabama - Yellowhammer News - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Creighton cover the spread vs. Georgetown? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WYMT - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Did You Bet on the Super Bowl? Don't Forget About Taxes - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Super Bowl sports betting expected to exceed a whopping $23 billion but there's a catch - TheStreet - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Buffalo cover the spread vs. Northern Illinois? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WWNY - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Dayton cover the spread vs. Duquesne? Betting Trends, Record ATS - FOX19 - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Are the Thunder favored vs. the Magic on February 13? Game odds, spread, over/under - KOLN - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Will Ohio State cover the spread vs. Wisconsin? Betting Trends, Record ATS - FOX19 - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- Sports betting and Swifties converge on the Super Bowl - Axios - February 13th, 2024 [February 13th, 2024]
- The Lawyer Who Took on Big Tobacco Is Now Fighting an Online Sports Betting Giant - VICE - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- First two months of sports betting in Kentucky generates millions in tax revenue - WKYT - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Maryland sports betting hits a record high, bringing in over $3M in November - Fox Baltimore - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Gov. Beshear: Over $656 million wagered since launch of sports betting - LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Monday Night Football, NFL Betting Picks & Props: New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers, Week 14 - RotoWire - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Seminoles expand casino, sports-betting options as litigation continues - Florida Phoenix - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- ESPN BET Massachusetts Promo Code TELEGRAM $250 In Bonus Bets With Any Wager on MNF, Pats! - Worcester Telegram - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- New York Sports Betting Handle Tops $2.1bn In November - SBC Americas - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Maryland Sets State Sports Betting Record in November - Sports Betting Dime - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Get ESPN App To Bet Monday Night Football With $250 Sign-Up Bonus - Sports Betting Dime - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Vermont is Getting Close to Launching Sports Betting - Covers - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- FanDuel Promo Code offers $150 if your team wins on 'MNF' or any game - New York Post - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Kentucky Governor confirms early sports betting tax revenue exceeding expectations - EGR Global - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- How ESPN Bet is taking on sports betting giants with launch campaign - Campaign US - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Saints-Panthers, NFC South race a tossup: Watch Bayou Bets | Sports Betting - NOLA.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NFL Betting: Coach of the Year Update - NBC Sports - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Heres what to know as the Seminole Tribe launches sports betting, table games in Tampa - FOX 13 Tampa - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Maryland Sets New State Record with $550M Handle in November - Covers - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Will Seton Hall cover the spread vs. Monmouth? Betting Trends, Record ATS - WAFB - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Hard Rock Casino launches new table games, sports betting in Florida - Bay News 9 - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Sports Betting and its Effect on Sports Integrity and Fair Play - Baltic Times - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]