(Emma G. Schaible / Fourth Estate)
Assessing stakeholder perspectives on sports betting
BY LATRELL PRYOR, STAFF WRITER
Gambling is not new to the American public.
Federal regulations and state policies on gambling have evolved over the last century because of an increase in revenue. In the last seven years, monthly earnings reported by online sportsbooks have ballooned from tens of millions to billions.
Research has been done on the risks of addiction that come with gambling, as well as the vast amount of dollars in revenue generated yearly from the U.S gambling industry. Now that sports betting has been deregulated, an exploding industry could evolve in unexpected ways.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which made sports betting of any kind illegal outside the state of Nevada. Since this decision, the landscape of sports betting across the country has been filled with opinions on how or if the practice should be regulated.
Today, 39 states have legislation allowing the use of sportsbooks and online sports betting. The average annual revenue reported by the American Gaming Association consistently rises to record numbers according to state regulatory data featured in their Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker.
This has led to debates about what ethical responsibilities policymakers at all levels hold. Civilians and athletes alike are at risk in a time where those as young as 18 in some states can pick up the phone and, in seconds, wager hundreds of dollars at a time.
Commonsense Guardrails
New federal and state legislation has arisen in response to concerns, looking to curtail the negative impacts of sports betting while still leaving room for economic growth among states.
The SAFE Bet Act, introduced in congress by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) offers broad reforms to the way sports betting companies can operate in the United States.
The proposal would introduce 24-hour deposit limits, “affordability checks” on big money wagers and bans on credit card deposits, exploitative promotional tactics and phrases such as “bonus bet” or “no sweat” being used in advertisements.
Rep. Tonko highlighted a need to protect citizens from gambling addictions during a March 2025 press conference announcing the bill. He said the goal of the bill was “not to prevent Americans from wagering on sports should they choose to, but to place commonsense guardrails on the sports betting industry in order to protect our communities from the most devastating impacts of gambling-related harm.”
“We are determined to do this right”
Some local-level policymakers view the introduction of legalized sports betting to their constituents as an inevitable step in a growing gaming industry.
In Minnesota, state representatives Cedrick Frazier and Liish Kolzlowski worked with industry stakeholders, introducing legislation to legalize sports betting that focused on the prevention of problem gambling.
“We have seen the consequences of inadequate regulations in other states, and we are determined to do this right,” Frazier, the bill’s leading author, said.
Other stakeholders within the gaming industry have pushed back against the idea of federal intervention.
American Gaming Association Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Chris Cylke described the bill as “heavy-handed federal prohibitions” and called the proposal “a slap in the face to state legislatures and gaming regulators.”
“I’m a Prop”
There is no shortage of athletes’ perspectives on the influence of sports betting. NBA All Star and Pacers starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton spoke during a post practice press conference in 2024 on the potentially dehumanizing effects betting can have on fans’ perception of athletes.
“Not everybody cares how we feel … To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever. I’m a prop,” Haliburton said.
There has also been an unsettling number of league scandals and federal investigations involving professional athletes and sports betting. The NBA banned former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life due to his role in rigging prop bets in 2024.
Other ongoing federal investigations with major implications on the future of sports betting involve the potential influence of criminal organizations on players and coaches alike.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazer’s Head Coach Chauncey Billups now also find themselves close to the center of gambling scandal that shows this issue is far from its conclusion, and close to a boiling point.
