Expert Article- How Gambling Ruined American Sports (Final Draft)

 How Gambling Has Ruined American Sports

Once upon a time, American sports were about passion, competition, and the love of the game. Today, they’re about the spread, the over/under, and crafting the next big parlay. From courtside to the couch, gambling has taken away the soul of sports, turning once-loyal fans into mere speculators and putting the integrity of the game at risk. For many, the question is no longer who will win. But instead, will my bet hit?

So how did this start? The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 outlawed sports betting across the country except for Nevada. (1) During this period, sports gambling was mostly limited to fantasy sports or risky offshore betting. This ruling stood until 2018 when the law was deemed unconstitutional and the floodgates were let open. Suddenly, online gambling giants like DraftKings and FanDuel took center stage and saw their valuations skyrocket into the tens of billions. Profits are up exponentially and state governments raked in over $2.5 billion in sports gambling tax in 2023, so what's the problem?

CORRUPTION

Corruption is not a new phenomenon in sports, dating back to the 1911 MLB World Series where the infamous Black Sox scandal saw the team throw the championship and face lifetime bans from the sport. Yet over a century later, history continues to repeat itself. In 2024, NBA player Johntay Porter took “bet on yourself” to a new level and was banned for life after an investigation showed he faked injuries and intentionally underperformed to influence prop betting outcomes. Porter claimed his actions were driven by a severe gambling debt, and as a fringe NBA player he did not have the same wealth as those with guaranteed contracts. However, if a player worth millions could be enticed to cheat, the risks to atheletes at lower levels is even greater.

This issue extends beyond professional sports and into the collegiate level, where athletes facing financial hardship or aren’t likely to go pro are more vulnerable to the temptation of making quick money by manipulating the outcome of games. Since 2018, the NCAA has recorded 175 violations of its gambling policy. (Anderson) At the time of writing, three players from the Fresno State men's basketball team have been suspended and are under investigation for placing bets on games they participated in this season. (Nolan, 3) Of these players, the team's two leading scorers, Mykell Robinson and Jalen Weaver have allegedly bet on themselves to underperform in scoring and rebounding. Given their influence on the team, which has struggled to a 5-23 record, it is possible they may have thrown games to fulfill their bets. While blame can be attributed to the players at fault, many are exploited by third-party gambling operations and face threats and pressure to follow through. The prevalence of these cases continues to rise and puts into question how many amateur athletes have violated these policies in sports that are harder to detect and may not receive the national attention of basketball and football. 

THE FAN

As an avid NFL viewer, I sometimes find myself questioning whether the Kansas City Chiefs can really be that lucky when so many crucial referee decisions seem to always go in their favor. Or is there something more at play? Sadly, the integrity of the game is increasingly under scrutiny, as leagues forge partnerships with gambling sportsbooks, leaving many fans wondering if the sport they love is being compromised. For example, the NBA’s partnership with DraftKings presents a conflict of interest, as the league now profits from gambling activity tied directly to its games. 

The viewing experience has been tarnished as well, with TV broadcasts constantly bombarding viewers with live odds and promotions. Once a space for pure sports entertainment, these broadcasts now resemble gambling infomercials, shifting the focus away from the game itself. Broadcasters can now go as far as suggesting bets and parlays involving star players, reducing athletes to little more than gambling assets. Charles Barkley, NBA Hall of Famer and TNT personality, even has his own segment pregame in which he recommends his “guarentees”-- often the very opposite, being parlays with low probability and high rewards.  

Aside from the damage gambling can do to ones mental and financial health, this shift risks alienating true fans, as frustration over lost bets can turn admiration into resentment toward players who "cost" them money. Instead of being invested in the spirit of competition, many fans have become more concerned with financial outcomes than the actual game itself. 

THE PLAYER

Beyond the threat of integrity to the sport, there are very harmful ramifications for the players and coaches involved. On the player side, they are constantly harassed on social media for failing to fufill gamblers’ bets that they have no control over.  Tyrese Haliburton, star Indiana Pacers point guard highlights this, stating “To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever. I’m a prop.” (Smith) These players are people too, but in the eyes of some poor minded gamblers they are just a number on a betslip. JB Bickerstaff, former coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, recounted a dangerous situation before a game stating, "They got my telephone number and were sending me crazy messages about where I live and my kids and all that stuff.” (Windhorst) On the topic of gambling, he added "There's no doubt about it that it's crossed the line." To hear these stories from those around the league, its imperative that there needs to be change in order to protect its participants.

THE FUTURE

If the current trajectory continues, American sports may be reduced to becoming a mere extension of the booming gambling industry. While its in the best interest of professional sports leagues’ checkbooks to continue blurring the line between sport and gambling, the loss of fandom and potential harm to players and other participants beg the question– How far is too far?

 

Works Cited

1. S.474 - 102nd congress (1991-1992): Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act | congress.gov | library of Congress. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/102nd-congress/senate-bill/474.

2. Anderson, Mark. “There Have Been 175 Sports-Betting Violations since 2018, 17 Active Investigations, NCAA Head Says.” AP News, July 12, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-sports-betting-charlie-baker-dina-titus-c8e44843c8d589544a6d03c79fdf6885.

3.  Nolan, Alec, Marc Anthony Lopez, and Vince Ybarra. “Fresno State Men’s Basketball Players Allegedly Placed Bets on Games They Played in, Sources Say.” ABC30 Fresno, February 23, 2025. https://abc30.com/post/fresno-state-mens-basketball-players-allegedly-placed-bets-games-played-sources-say/15946235/.

4. Smith, Jeff. “Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Shares His Perspective of Sports Betting Wave: ‘I’m a Prop.’” SI, March 20, 2024. https://www.si.com/nba/2024/03/20/pacers-tyrese-haliburton-sports-betting-wave-comments#:~:text=During%20the%20comments%2C%20he%20highlighted,per%20The%20Athletic’s%20James%20Boyd.

5.  Windhorst, Brian. “Cavaliers’ J.B. Bickerstaff Says He’s Been Threatened by Gamblers.” ESPN. Accessed February 21, 2025. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39773731/cavaliers-jb-bickerstaff-says-threatened-gamblers.