They’re everywhere. Sports betting ads, that is. Commercials for gambling apps like DraftKings or BetMGM are all over prime time, and they’ve recruited some of the biggest celebrities from Hollywood and sports. Now, some are sounding the alarm of their predatory practices.
History
For many decades, sports gambling was illegal in most states, thanks to a 1992 law signed by President George H. W. Bush. Then, in 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling in the Murphy vs. National Collegiate Athletic Association decision. That ruling gave states the power to legalize sports betting; and so far, 38 states have done so.
Legalization has predictably coincided with a boom in sports wagers. The University of San Diego reported wagers “skyrocketed from $4.9 billion in 2017 to $121.1 billion in 2023.” And of that $121.1 billion wagered, 94% of gamblers used an app to do so.
Betting apps take sports gambling beyond the odds that used to populate newspapers. By utilizing prop bets, users can bet any number of aspects of the game, including “an individual player’s performance or a specific stat, like whether a baseball pitch is a ball or a strike,” according to the University of Washington.
Critics
Though states see tax revenues, mental health professionals warn of increased gambling addiction. “Internet searches for help with gambling addiction, such as ‘am I addicted to gambling’, have cumulatively increased 23% nationally since Murphy v. NCAA through June 2024,” according to the University of San Diego.
Les Bernal, CEO of Stop Predatory Gambling, told Drew Mariani young people hurt by legalized sports betting. “The advertising and marketing of commercialized gambling, especially online sports gambling, has created an epidemic of young adult and teen gambling addiction across the United States.”
Catholic Church
The Church does not teach gambling itself to be immoral. “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice” (CCC 2413). Such games become problematic when they deprive someone of their needs.
The Church does, however, recognize the compulsive nature of gambling, “the passion for gambling risks becoming enslavement” (2413).
