A portion of this essay appeared in New York Times Room for Debate.
The
rationales for states legalizing sport betting range from the de-criminalization
associated with sport betting to increasing tax revenue from the revenues
generated from sport betting. In 2012, the Nevada Gaming Commission reported that
$3.45 billion was
legally wagered in its state’s Casinos in sport bets alone. It is also estimated that around $380 billion
is illegally wagered on sports betting. The Super Bowl is considered the
mega-event for sport betting with estimates around $8 billion wagered each
year. Clearly, significant revenue is generated in sport betting, which is
cause for many states to consider the legalization of sport wagering.
However, there are other factors to
consider beyond the potential tax revenue and the contribution these revenues
can make towards education and other civic services. It is customary to see a rise in detrimental
behaviors and physical and/or mental health issues with the legalization of certain
social practices; e.g. alcohol, gambling, marijuana, etc. For example, it has been documented that crime
rates associated with the use of alcohol increased after prohibition. The increase legalization of sport betting
can witness a similar fate, where we experience an increase in impulse control
disorders and the negative behaviors that are byproducts of this disorder. As it relate specifically to sport, it can
also encourage individuals to try and influence the outcome of the game by
enticing players or officials with money.
It can encourage athletes to bet on games in which they compete,
regardless of policies in place that prohibit this practice; such as the Professional
and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
In light of the various challenges
professional sports are encountering, the increase legalization of sport
betting can add another layer of complications.
Baseball is trying to manage the complications of performance-enhancing
drugs (PEDs); the NFL, although financially fit, concussion litigations may
present an ongoing disruption; the NBA is struggling to fill the void of Air
Jordan; and the NHL is two years removed from a lockout. Now add the threat to the integrity of the
game to these complications, and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
Until our collective morality is at
a level of maturity to handle the dysfunctionalism gambling induces the
legalization of sport betting should be restricted. Although gambling is big business, state
revenues should not have to depend on the selling of false hopes or profiting
off pathology. The short-term gains of
legalizing sport betting in more states are not worth the long-term complication
it will create for the professional leagues, specifically, and most
importantly, the complications it will add to many communities that are already
challenged with other social pathologies.
