Who is leading the fight against Sports Betting?
Published:
Jan 30, 2025
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12:32 p.m.
ET
Key Points
Legalized sports betting has led to increases in gambling addiction
Many states’ regulations around gambling and sports betting lack adequate prevention measures and education
Leading voices against the current state of legalized sports betting include politicians, researchers and medical professionals
The gaming industry has a powerful impact on regulation with support from politicians, investors and lobbyist groups
Recent research has shed new light on the societal impacts of legalized gambling in the U.S.
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There are many who support the legalization of sports betting that resulted from a 2018 Supreme Court ruling. While there are certain benefits seen from legalized sports betting such as increased tax revenue, job growth and bringing a previously shady activity into the regulated light, the negative impacts still weigh heavily. Therefore, there are some notable individuals fighting for change in this growing industry.
In December 2024, a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was held regarding the impact of gambling in the United States with multiple stakeholders sharing their expertise and recommendations for the future of the gaming industry. This article will address both sides of the conversation - for and against legalized sports betting and gambling - with testimony and research from doctors, therapists, lobbyists, litigators and former gambling addicts. While there is representation from both sides, this article in no way provides an exhaustive list of all those who have a vested stake and voice in the future of sports betting and gambling in the United States.
The Professor: Richard Daynard
The name Richard Daynard is synonymous with taking on Big Tobacco in the 80s and 90s, resulting in a landmark legal case that forced the tobacco industry to pay out over $200 billion in settlement money to U.S. states. At age 81, Daynard has not slowed down his activism and fight against companies whose products can cause harm to U.S. citizens, with his latest battle focusing on arguably America’s fastest-growing obsession - sports betting.
Sports betting was brought squarely to Daynard’s attention in March 2023 when mobile betting became available in Massachusetts. He recalls how seemingly overnight, sports betting advertisements seemed to blanket Boston, with everything from TV commercials to trash cans promoting new sportsbooks available.
Daynard points to the alarming statistics involving state-specific sports betting since its legalization began in 2018. Research from UCLA found that there have been an additional 30,000 bankruptcies filed and $8 billion in annualized debt collections related to sports betting behaviors. Increases in credit card debt, overdrawn accounts, and depleted savings or investment accounts are all concerning trends that correlate to the rise of gambling.
It is worth noting that despite the alarming facts related to sports gambling behavior, Daynard is not looking to abolish the entire practice of gambling. Daynard believes that people should have the autonomy to engage in whatever behavior they like, but that it is up to the corporations who sell or endorse these products to have proper safeguards and legislation in place to protect vulnerable people from harmful products. Although many sports betting companies promote their efforts to make gambling safe for all, they continue to fall short.
Daynard eloquently says, “The industry touts the “responsible gaming” model, in which companies include problem-gambling hotline numbers in ads, much as labels are affixed to cigarette packages: you were warned, we’re offering help, so don’t blame us for your woes. A public-health strategy, on the other hand, recognizes that the product can be addictive and enacts reasonable measures to protect consumers. People fall off the cliff, the ‘responsible gaming’ approach is, we are here with the ambulance. The public-health approach is, you put a fence up on the top.”
The former gambling addict turned counselor: Harry Levant
One of the lead voices who recently spoke with the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of the Public Health Advocacy Institute is Dr. Harry Levant, the PHAI’s Director of Gambling Policy. Dr. Levant is not only a licensed gambling addiction therapist but has worked as an advocate in changing policy related to gambling harm-reduction.
Dr. Levant has personal experience to help inform his fight against sports betting harms, as he is currently in recovery from his own battle with gambling addiction. Levant spoke to the Senate about his concerns surrounding the rise of incidents of gambling addiction, the harm that is caused to gamblers and their families and the need for public health centered policies that look at preventing gambling addiction and work to negate the effects of legalized gambling.
Dr. Levant closed his testimony with a succinct point, saying, “Simply put, prevention of harm is the best form of treatment. I consider myself duty bound to utilize the totality of my professional training and personal experience to help lead the movement for public health reform with the goal of preventing gambling addiction and gambling-related harm."
The Politician: Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Paul Tonko, the Democratic Representative from New York, has worked in tandem with Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut to introduce new legislation addressing the harm that gambling and sports betting can cause. The SAFE Bet Act (Supporting Affordability & Fairness with Every Bet Act) will propose that federal mandates address gambling-related concerns and set a national standard for gambling and sports betting.
The SAFE Bet Act would include measures such as not allowing sports betting advertising on live TV during certain hours, affordability check by operators prior to users placing large bets, limiting users to a maximum of five bets per day, eliminating credit cards as a payment option to place bets and prohibiting the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create user specific target gambling advertisements.
Is the NCPG (National Council on Problem Gambling) against legalized gambling?
Keith Whyte, the recently departed Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) also contributed to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last December. Mr. Whyte wrote in his testimony that the role of the NCPG is to speak for those who have suffered from the devastating effects of gambling addiction and to help prevent and treat it.
The NCPG states explicitly that its main focus is to advocate for interventions and legislation that reduces the harm caused by gambling, but to have a neutral stance, not for or against it. Recommendations from the NCPG to combat problem gambling include:
Public health approach to gambling addiction prevention
Individual states investing in problem gambling support services
Federal funding from sports betting tax revenue used for gambling addiction prevention and education
Who are the gambling proponents they’re fighting against?
Gambling companies and sportsbooks
Behind the aggressive sports gambling campaigns, targeted advertisements and addictive tactics are the gambling operators, including sportsbooks. Many of these are publicly traded companies, so their leaders have a duty to try to increase value for shareholders. Profits and the wellbeing of bettors are often on opposite sides of a consideration set when decisions are made, so despite some noble efforts of certain sportsbooks to push responsible gaming with messaging, tools and features, at the end of the day sportsbooks making money as a result of their players losing money is paramount.
Politicians and lobbyists
In addition to the companies that benefit from gambling and sports betting, there are politicians and lobbyists that have interests in the success and growth of the gambling industry. Senator Joseph Addabbo (D-NY) is one politician of note that has been pushing for a bill to legalize and regulate online casinos in New York State.
While Addabbo touts his efforts as looking out for the interest of New York's citizens by safeguarding them from unregulated games, he also speaks to the tax revenue benefits that this bill would provide, including more jobs and financial support for New Yorkers.
Pro-gambling lobbyists make significant impacts on the legislation surrounding gambling and sports betting as well. The American Gaming Association (AGA) is a key stakeholder and has a mission statement that supports the gaming industry: “We advocate for casino operators, manufacturers, suppliers, and employees, speaking for the industry on a range of business, legislative, and regulatory issues.”
It’s worth noting that the AGA has multiple consumer-focused campaigns to promote responsible gaming, including Responsible Gaming Education Month every September, but at the end of the day they are openly advocates for the gambling operators.
Investors
Over the past decade, the gaming industry has often been seen as an incredibly lucrative sector for those looking to invest. There are various options and levels of investment that can fit almost any budget. Gaming Industry ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) invest in casinos and sports betting companies that generate returns for investors. ETFs are popular funds that investors can add to help diversify their portfolio that provides exposure to a specific sector. The spike in investors interested in adding gaming industry funds to their investments is similar to the trend seen when marijuana was legalized.
Of course, investors can also target specific public companies like Flutter, which owns FanDuel and many other global betting brands, or Massachusetts-based DraftKings, for example.
What are the core arguments against and for legalized sports betting?
The case against:
Addiction: Instances of gambling addiction have increased notably since the 2018 ruling to legalize sports betting at the state level. In fact, Florida saw a 138% increase in calls to their gambling helpline in less than two months after the launch of legal sports betting in the state.
Unwise financial decisions: Legalized gambling has led to an increase in irresponsible spending, specifically in lower-income households.
Increased bankruptcy rates: Bankruptcy rates related to gambling debts have increased to 28% since 2018.
Crime: Problem gambling habits have been linked to higher rates of criminal activity.
Domestic Violence: Rates of Intimate Partner Violence related to gambling increase as much as 10% versus non-gamblers.
The case for:
Tax revenues: Legalized gambling has created millions of dollars in new tax revenue for states with regulated sports betting.
Regulating an activity that is already widespread: There is a popular argument (which is valid) that gambling and sports betting have already been happening for decades. Legalizing and regulating it therefore brings an activity from the shadows into the light, where it can be better monitored and controlled.
Jobs: Legalized gambling supports the growth of thousands of jobs and the potential increase of billions in labor income.
Tourism: Gambling has historically led to increases in tourism in certain cities such as Las Vegas, which supports economic growth. That argument is weaker nowadays though with widespread sports betting, in particular the mobile form.
Resources and treatment options for Gambling Addiction
If you or someone you know is dealing with gambling-related problems, there are resources available to help you find a path to recovery. Depending on the severity of an individual's gambling behaviors, inpatient or intensive outpatient services may be necessary. Many people seeking treatment for gambling addiction find success with individual therapy and support groups, or a combination of the two.
Virtual therapy is also a popular option for gambling addiction nowadays, as it can be difficult to find specialized in-person gambling addiction treatment near you. Birches Health offers support services with specially trained gambling addiction counselors from the comfort of your own home, covered by insurance.
Birches Health offers the following ways to get started:
Call 833-483-3838
Email help@bircheshealth.com
Sources:
The Man Who Took On Big Tobacco Has a New Target: Sports Betting
Written Testimony of Keith Whyte Executive Director National Council on Problem Gambling
Legalized Gambling Increases Irresponsible Betting Behavior, Especially Among Low-Income Populations
Sports gambling takes a toll on Americans' checkbooks, research shows
UO analysis finds link between legal sports gambling and higher rates of intimate partner violence
How Sports Betting is Changing the Game for Destinations and Venues
