We’re in a new era of technology where people are on their phones or internet-accessible devices for more than seven hours each day on average. Most of this usage comes from social media, but a new threat to phone addiction is sports betting apps.
Sports betting has been on the rise ever since it became legal at the federal level in 2018. Nevada was the first state to legalize sports betting in 1931, but it was limited to casinos. In 2022, just four years after legalization, sports betting apps generated $7.4 billion in revenue, which was 71 percent higher than the previous year. FanDuel alone generated over $3 billion in revenue that year, a 62 percent increase from 2021.
New apps and websites are created every day, making it easier than ever for fans to bet on their favorite teams. Draftkings and FanDuel are the two most popular applications, and ESPN even created its own site less than a year ago. Basketball generates the most revenue — March Madness specifically — with football being a close second.
College-age men are most at risk for becoming addicted to sports betting because they can access wagers on their phones and receive live updates when new bets are open. This can negatively affect their academics by increasing the amount of time they spend on their phones. It could also create financial problems, with the typical amount per bet ranging from $10 to $50.
Niko Balderas , a fourth-year student at the University of Iowa, said he started betting on sports events after seeing his friends and older peers making money from gambling.
“I wanted to follow suit and see if I would be successful,” he said.
Balderas said he has two betting apps downloaded on his phone, but he doesn’t look at them every day.
“When I place a bet, or bets, I average about 10 to 20 minutes on the app after the bet is placed,” he said.
Brett Levenhagen , also a fourth-year student at the UI, said he feels the apps make it easier than ever to gamble because users can connect with friends on the app. These referral programs offer extra money to bet with if you refer your friends or social media followers to join the app.
“The referral program incentivizes people to hound you to make an account,” Levenhagen said.
Advertisers spent $1.9 billion in 2023 to promote sports betting on a variety of marketing channels, including TV, broadcast radio, and digital advertising. Sportsbooks spent over $8 million dollars on advertising at the University of Michigan alone. These ads show how easy it is to place wagers and make money, without mentioning how easy it is to develop a gambling addiction.
The Mayo Clinic published an article discussing signs that sports betting might be becoming more than just a form of entertainment. These signs include asking others for money to support your betting, prioritizing gambling over your relationships or schoolwork, turning to gambling when you’re feeling depressed or anxious, and lying to cover up the extent of your betting.
Sports betting also negatively affects football and basketball players. Jontay Porter, a player for the Toronto Raptors, gave out information to bettors about games and made bets on his own games using a friend’s account.
These actions resulted in him being banned for life from the league. This decision sparked discussions on how the culture of professional sports has changed since sports betting became legal and the importance of maintaining professional integrity among players.
This problem isn’t limited to football and basketball players. The interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani was fired from the Los Angeles Dodgers due to an excessive amount of gambling debt.
Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was charged with bank and tax fraud and pleaded guilty to both charges. The funds used to place the bets came from Ohtani’s private accounts, but Ohtani denies ever placing bets and said he was unaware that his interpreter was taking money from him.
The UI Athletics Department was also under investigation in 2023 after an investigator noticed a large concentration of sportsbook users within the department. Around 35 staff members and athletes were either criminally charged or lost NCAA eligibility.
Sports betting is changing the way Americans watch and enjoy sporting events. It promotes gambling addictions by making betting easily accessible to anyone with an internet-connected device.