How sports betting ubiquitous

Cigars, booze, money: how a lobbying blitz made sports betting ubiquitous in the US. Less than five years ago, such activity in the United. sports betting apps. Served up to students through ubiquitous ads that offer promises of “free” bets and easy wins, the apps sink their. Cigars, booze, money: A how sports betting ubiquitous blitz helped to make sports betting ubiquitous. Government oversight of gambling in the United States. In the U.S., we've gone through different waves of how we view gambling, both sports betting and gambling more broadly. It became ubiquitous.

The Rise of Sports Betting Ubiquity

Sports betting has become increasingly omnipresent in the realm of sports, a phenomenon that continues to gain momentum and reshape the industry landscape. With its soaring popularity, the influence of sports betting can be witnessed across various sporting events globally, captivating fans and altering the way viewers engage with the games they love.

The Intriguing Scenario

The integration of sports betting into the fabric of sports has reached remarkable levels, marking a new era in the relationship between sports and gambling. The once discreet realm of wagering on sports outcomes has now stepped into the limelight, profoundly altering fan experiences and the way sports are perceived and consumed.

Through a myriad of channels, such as online platforms, mobile applications, and partnerships with major sports leagues, sports betting has managed to embed itself deeply in the core of the athletic world. The ease of access to betting markets and the allure of potentially lucrative returns have enticed a broader demographic, transcending traditional boundaries and constituting a global phenomenon.

The Numbers Game

The Impact on Sports

The ubiquity of sports betting has had a profound impact on the sports industry, transcending mere financial implications. While the influx of betting-related revenues has provided a significant boon to leagues and teams, it has also raised concerns regarding match-fixing, integrity, and the well-being of athletes.

As the line between sports entertainment and gambling continues to blur, governing bodies and stakeholders are tasked with navigating the delicate balance between embracing the benefits of sports betting and safeguarding the integrity and spirit of competition.

Looking Forward

As sports betting cements its presence on the global stage, the conversation surrounding its impact and regulation will undoubtedly intensify. The challenges and opportunities presented by the ubiquity of sports betting will shape the future landscape of sports, demanding a thoughtful and proactive approach from all involved parties.

Amidst the evolving dynamics between sports and gambling, one thing remains certain—the synergy between the two realms will continue to captivate audiences and redefine the very essence of sports as we know it.

Cigars, Booze, Money: How a Lobbying Blitz Made Sports Betting Ubiquitous

Cigars, booze, money: how a lobbying blitz made sports betting ubiquitous in the US

At Towson University, outside Baltimore, for example, the staff at the student counseling center began preparing for a wave of problem gambling when legal sports betting launched in Maryland in With a small grant, the center began doing outreach to students and running public service ads about gambling addiction, based on what they knew worked for substance abuse.

Addressing gambling among college students is so new, as far as they could tell, they were the first campus in the U. If the students indicate they may have a problem, the navigators direct them to university resources. Originally part of a grant targeting HIV and substance abuse, questions about gambling have now been folded into the surveys, says Dolores Cimini, the Albany psychologist who leads the effort.

Treatment for gambling can range from group sessions or a peer-led program like Gamblers Anonymous to one-on-one meetings with a psychologist, which can include cognitive behavioral therapy. On rare occasions it can result in admission to a residential treatment facility. Some private insurance plans will cover treatment, but not all. It can depend on the state, and whether state law mandates insurers cover all recognized disorders.

When help is available, it is effective. People kill themselves, people go bankrupt. While treatment availability remains a concern, college addiction specialists are more worried about how quickly mobile sports betting has outpaced public policy prescriptions for addressing problem gambling among young people. As Goode, from the Connecticut gambling council, notes, how helpful is a small phone number on a highway billboard when cars rush by at 65 miles per hour?

When the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last month asked mobile betting operators how many accounts of underage gamblers they detected over the last three months, some said zero and the rest put the number in single digits. That would include much more supervision of mobile betting operators, and a significant increase in federal research spending into gambling addiction, which vastly trails spending on other forms of addictions.

Fong also favors tighter control on advertising. A total ban on online gambling would be counterproductive, Fong says, as it would just encourage a black market. And he notes most gamblers are not addicts, and bet responsibly and within their limits. There is also a social value in gambling, Fong says.

It provides entertainment and generates economic activity. Done responsibly, it can even help young people explore their appetite for risk, much as going to a horror movie can help them explore fear. But with online sports betting, the equation is out of kilter, and the societal damage is quickly outweighing any benefits. How sports betting ubiquitous Contact us at letters time. By Oliver Staley.

Although gambling disorder the DSM-V classification has an estimated prevalence rate of just. Although the consequences of having gambling disorder can be dire e. In Ohio the state that most recently legalized sports wagering , the Ohio Casino Control Commission has authorized 20 companies to offer mobile device gambling, and other companies have submitted applications as well.

Although gambling may not be inherently problematic, the ubiquity of mobile gambling bodes to be a game-changing event, likely to undercut the enjoyment of those who partake in sports wagering. Indeed, bettors who prefer mobile gambling vs. Rather than focusing on those who are diagnosed with gambling disorder certainly a serious societal problem , let's explore the psychology underlying how everyday people may find the easy availability of sports wagering to be self-defeating for their happiness ignoring the meaningful toll that sports betting can have on their finances, relationships, and legal upstandingness.

One of the problems with ubiquity is that it becomes more difficult to enjoy life's pleasures. Indeed, Kahneman and Tversky's classic prospect theory accounts for how increases in objective outcomes produce watered-down psychological experiences. In other words, it takes steeper increases in objective gains in this case, dollars to create commensurate increases in psychological pleasure.

Critical to prospect theory, gains and losses are viewed with respect to a frame of reference. If one wins three bets in a row, each subsequent win brings less enjoyment than the previous win. Events that happen during one psychological episode e. Thus, placing more bets and doing so in rapid succession will water down the joy of wins, which is more likely to occur when betters can simply "make another bet right now on my smartphone" rather than "have to wait until the next time I go back to Vegas" to bet again.

Gamblers know this experience very well. For example, if people are experiencing a series of wins at the blackjack table, they often raise their bets e. This need to increase bets to create the same psychological juice is accounted for by prospect theory i. The ease of placing additional bets immediately on one's mobile phone, ironically, makes it less likely for one to experience a "frame reset" and thus, more risky bets are necessary to maintain the same sense of psychological engagement for the bettor.

Accountability makes people more likely to behave responsibly, and thus, it seems likely that bettors may engage in riskier wagering if their bets are placed on smartphones than in person to an employee working at a sportsbook. In psychology, it is well established that being deindividuated not feeling accountable to others increases harmful behaviors.

In a classic study, trick-or-treating children were less likely to steal candy i. In general, the more people feel invisible to others, the more likely they are to perform questionable behaviors e. And to the extent that placing bets on phones rather than with people enhances anonymity, bettors should feel less self-conscious and more likely to place risky bets.

Finally, another factor that makes the current state of sports wagering unprecedented is the amount of betting-related advertising and co-branding that has become commonplace. It is difficult now to find a sports venue that does not have promotions for sports betting, and TV screens and roadside billboards are plastered with commercials promoting sports wagering.

As people encounter more ads for sports betting, it not only increases people's awareness of the companies involved but also conveys social norms i. Classic work in social psychology e. Thus, to the extent that sports betting advertising "is everywhere," it conveys that sports wagering is something that everyone is doing, which increases the likelihood that new people will take up betting on sports.

Further, sports betting companies are often touted as "official partners" of various sports franchises, sports leagues, and even universities, adding official endorsement of sports betting. Whereas most sports took great strides to distance themselves from gambling for decades, now leagues and even universities actively promote betting.

Thus, fans are now exposed to intentional promotions in settings ranging from NFL football NFL, to universities such as Michigan State where such arrangements are viewed with growing concern in that they may encourage "the next generation of bettors" college students who are just becoming betting-legal to begin online wagers using school-sponsored promotions Betts et al.

Of course, betting on sports is nothing new for its fans and or for college students. But seeing official partnerships providing "offer codes" in marketing tie-ins can establish the normalcy of sports betting for people who are just starting their adult consumer careers, grooming a new generation of bettors who often have not established their own financial independence.

In this post, I've focused on reasons why the recent expansion of sports gambling may, ironically, lead to less happiness among those who partake. Clearly, not everyone who gambles "has a problem" and for many people, sports wagering can be an exciting activity that can entertain, build social connections, and relieve stress.

Gambling is not inherently evil. However, large sample studies indicate that as people gamble more, they experience poorer social, financial, and well-being outcomes Muggleton et al. Ironically, though, it is the very belief that one can "defy the odds" that draws people to gambling in the first place!

Time will tell how the explosion of mobile gambling affects the millions who are wading into legal, accessible sports betting for the first time. The psychological literature provides some insights into what might lie ahead—and less overall happiness may be a sure bet.

Disclaimer: The views posted on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer. American Gaming Association , November American Pet Products Association To address this gap in care, Lange and others formed a consortium of university substance abuse experts to try and develop best practices for educating and treating college students.

About 20 experts convene once a month to discuss findings and new research. Here and there, universities are beginning to experiment with programs modeled on what has worked with other destructive behaviors. At Towson University, outside Baltimore, for example, the staff at the student counseling center began preparing for a wave of problem gambling when legal sports betting launched in Maryland in With a small grant, the center began doing outreach to students and running public service ads about gambling addiction, based on what they knew worked for substance abuse.

Addressing gambling among college students is so new, as far as they could tell, they were the first campus in the U. If the students indicate they may have a problem, the navigators direct them to university resources. Originally part of a grant targeting HIV and substance abuse, questions about gambling have now been folded into the surveys, says Dolores Cimini, the Albany psychologist who leads the effort.

Treatment for gambling can range from group sessions or a peer-led program like Gamblers Anonymous to one-on-one meetings with a psychologist, which can include cognitive behavioral therapy. On rare occasions it can result in admission to a residential treatment facility. Some private insurance plans will cover treatment, but not all.

It can depend on the state, and whether state law mandates insurers cover all recognized disorders. When help is available, it is effective. People kill themselves, people go bankrupt. While treatment availability remains a concern, college addiction specialists are more worried about how quickly mobile sports betting has outpaced public policy prescriptions for addressing problem gambling among young people.

As Goode, from the Connecticut gambling council, notes, how helpful is a small phone number on a highway billboard when cars rush by at 65 miles per hour. When the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last month asked mobile betting operators how many accounts of underage gamblers they detected over the last three months, some said zero and the rest put the number in single digits.

That would include much more supervision of mobile betting operators, and a significant increase in federal research spending into gambling addiction, which vastly trails spending on other forms of addictions. What are the best odds in sports betting Fong also favors tighter control on advertising. A total ban on online gambling would be counterproductive, Fong says, as it would just encourage a black market.

And he notes most gamblers are not addicts, and bet responsibly and within their limits. There is also a social value in gambling, Fong says. It provides entertainment and generates economic activity. Done responsibly, it can even help young people explore their appetite for risk, much as going to a horror movie can help them explore fear.