"In the months after a 2018 Supreme Court decision opened the door for states to legalize sports betting within their borders, giddy lawmakers across the country couldn't move quickly enough. No one wanted to miss out on the billions of dollars in tax revenue that the high court had suddenly placed within their reach-or, worse yet, to watch that easy money go to neighboring states whose leaders had the presence of mind to move first."
"Eight years later, it's clear that this gold rush has had (and I am being diplomatic here) some negative consequences. Sports media outlets have become hopelessly intertwined with gambling behemoths eager to turn more fans into paying customers. Athletes who do not perform to bettors' satisfaction are often subjected to racist abuse, death threats, or some combination thereof. And gambling addiction has spiked, thanks to the proliferation of app-based mobile betting that allows users to get their fixes anytime, anywhere."
After a 2018 Supreme Court decision, states moved quickly to legalize sports betting to capture tax revenue and avoid losing bets to neighboring states. Lawmakers prioritized launching sportsbooks around major events rather than building regulatory infrastructure, and some passed authorizing laws before the ruling. The rapid expansion produced negative consequences: sports media became entwined with gambling companies; athletes faced racist abuse and death threats when performances disappointed bettors; and gambling addiction rose with app-based mobile betting available anytime. A 2025 study found internet searches for gambling-help increased 23% between 2018 and June 2024, surging more with online sportsbooks than with brick-and-mortar casinos.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]