Sports betting is growing everywhere and multiplying. In the United States, for example, in the tournament basketball tournament organized by the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), which is held at the these weeksThe March Madness, which is expected to involve more than 68 million Americans wagering more than $15 billion, is called 'March Madness'.
However, few people, other than those primarily interested in making a lot of money, pay attention to how the legal landscape of sports betting is developing. Especially in our state capitals, since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). This overruling allows states to create their own regulatory frameworks around sports betting.
More income, more addiction
This issue, often played out behind the scenes, is repeating the predatory aspects of the Big Tobacco scandal, and exacerbating people's addiction, like the opioid crisis. It is expected to absorb $1 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years. More and more people are calling legalization a big mistake.
Reaction of a Catholic
Fortunately, one Catholic, Les Bernal, is being a good resource for those working to prevent more victims.
Bernal is the national director of Stop Predatory Gamblinga national advocacy organization that is raising awareness of the harms of online sports betting. And he recently joined my OSV podcast, 'Catholic in America,' to explain why he is so passionate about gambling.
In the years since PASPA, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting in some form. Some states allow sports betting in physical locations, such as casinos. Others also allow it online through apps such as DraftKings or MGM.
Predatory betting
Predatory gambling, according to Bernal, is not church bingo, a friendly game of poker, raffles, or even the NCAA tournament bracket office pool. There is no 'house', and these are private, social forms of gambling. Even horse racing is called pari-mutuel betting, where people bet against each other. (Or where prizes are given out based on mutual wagers, depending on the number of tickets sold, etc.).
What the legalization of sports betting does, according to Bernal, is to create a partnership between the State and the gambling industry so that commercial sportsbooks or bookmakers can operate. In his words, it is a financial fraud to the consumer sanctioned by the State and a taxation through exploitation.
Las Vegas on your cell phone
"The longer you participate, there is a mathematical guarantee that you will lose all your money," says Bernal. And with online sports betting, he points out, we're not just putting Las Vegas on Main Street (Gibraltar), we're putting it in everyone's pocket via their cell phone.
In a recent study of 700,000 online sports bettors, only less than 5 % withdrew more money than they put in. And if you are skilled at sports betting or know how to beat the algorithm, you can get kicked off the platform.
Addictive behavior
In fact, what underscores the predatory nature of the industry is that veteran bettors exhibit addictive behavior. That is, they check their bets at all hours of the night in order to get the companies to put extra money into their accounts. It's a good way to 'weed out' (in industry jargon) those who are most likely to spend (and therefore lose) money. The house always wins.
Church teaching
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 2413), "Games of chance (card games, etc.) or gambling are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others. The passion for gambling runs the risk of becoming slavery."
Evidence is already coming in that legalized sports betting is doing just that.
Prevalence of gambling, a threat to public health
Data show that calls to gambling helplines in Virginia increased by 387 % after the first year of legalization. In New Jersey, 6 % of residents are now believed to suffer from a gambling-related disorder. And a recent commission of 22 academic experts convened by the medical journal 'The Lancet' concluded that existing studies and surveys show that the prevalence of gambling-related game poses a significant threat to public health.
More bankruptcies, more debt
An article by Bloomberg of 2024, 'Sports Betting Apps Are Even More Toxic Than You Thought,' summarized data on how sports betting is affecting Americans' financial health. In states that allow online gambling, the average credit score drops by nearly 1 %, while the probability of bankruptcy increases by 28 %, AND the amount of debts sent to collection agencies increases by 8 %.
The Bernal example
Supported by the evidence that has been accumulating following the repeal of PASPA, Catholics should follow Bernal's example. And consider this issue as a major concern in our protection of the poor and vulnerable. We need to shed light on the harms of the deals that continue to be negotiated between politicians and moneyed gambling interests.
In states where sports betting has not been legalized, a major effort must be made to oppose it. In places where they have been legalized in some form, they must be prevented from expanding further, especially online.
