If you’ve watched sports recently, you’ve seen a gambling advertisement. During the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals, there was “an average of 3.5 marketing messages from betting firms every minute,” a study by the University of Bristol found. Gambling culture, once entirely separate from sports, is now inescapable.
This transformation began in 2018, following the Supreme Court decision to overturn federal law prohibiting sports betting, leaving power to the states. Since then, 38 states have legalized sports betting, and America loves it. In fact 30% of Americans admitted to placing a sports bet in the past year.
With this amount of engagement and participation, sports betting is a massive, rapidly growing industry where nobody really wins. Athletes, bettors and bettors’ loved ones are all harmed by sports betting, a powerful force with the ability to ruin the sports experience and culture for America.
When sports betting was only legal in Nevada, it was much harder to engage in. Now, it’s legal in over half of the United States and incredibly accessible through mobile apps and websites like FanDuel, DraftKings and Bet365. Psychiatrist Dr. Rolando Gonzalez says technological advancements in artificial intelligence, eccentric bets, live odds and improved analytics play “a pivotal role in the growth of sports betting.” The erasure of “social stigma” in visiting casinos is gone, as betting is now incredibly accessible with the tap of a finger.
Gonzalez says, “anyone who gambles can be at-risk for developing a gambling problem,” and the DSM-5 has recognized gambling problems as an addictive disorder since 2013. Negative effects of sports betting are serious, including debt, addiction, mental health issues, relationship strain and difficulty paying rent or bills. Despite this, sports leagues in America have sponsorship deals with sports books that pop up during every game, and bring in $1 billion a year.
Before the overturning of sports gambling bans in 2018, “most sports organizations wanted nothing to do with gambling.” Now, it’s completely unavoidable, driven by mass revenue and ignoring ethics. Sports betting companies profit from losses, so the ease and thrill of sports betting is “a recipe for getting people to overdo it.”
Addictive gambling tendencies associated with sports betting have also increased domestic violence and child neglect issues. Those who gamble under the influence of drugs or alcohol are likely to place very high or risky bets, and if they lose, channel their anger toward their partner and children. A study from the University of Oregon found that after sports betting was legalized in 2018, unexpected NFL losses are associated with a 10% increase in intimate partner violence.
With so much money at stake, the industry shows no signs of slowing. In fact, limitations keep getting peeled back. While the NCAA doesn’t have sponsorship deals with sports betting companies, it changed a rule in November 2025 to allow college athletes and athletic staff to bet on professional leagues.
For college athletes, specifically those competing in NCAA Division I sports, sports betting provides a whole new complicated layer. The NCAA warns sports betting is a “mental health nightmare,” noting one-third of “high-profile athletes receive abusive messages from someone with a betting interest.”
Jim Strode, an “expert in sports betting” and an associate professor of Sports Management at Ohio University’s College of Business, reiterates this, arguing sports betting creates more stress for athletes, increasing “the level of acrimony from players to fans.”
Strode also says sports betting harms fans, or bettors, “sports gambling can be an addictive behavior that can certainly be damaging to finances, as well as mental health.” Gambling preys on impulses and can quickly spiral into a dangerous obsession.
Although states are supposed to dedicate funds from gambling tax proceeds to support services and addiction prevention, it isn’t a formal law or rule. Many states fail to dedicate sufficient sports betting tax revenue to problem gambling research or other safety measures. Ohio brought in $981.7 million from casinos and an additional $2.1 billion from online betting services in 2024, yet only 2% of this revenue is dedicated to addiction services.
Lawmakers need to do their part to regulate the industry and encourage responsible gambling, dedicating more time and energy to the fine print in commercials.
A 2025 survey from the National Council on Problem Gambling found that almost 20 million Americans say they engage in problematic gambling behaviors.
Sports betting is ruining the game and culture for everybody involved: athletes, bettors and bettors’ loved ones. Sports betting has been a fairly unchecked industry since 2018, overshadowing the game and encouraging harmful habits.
If you are going to bet, do so responsibly by setting limits, avoiding alcohol and drugs and betting small amounts of money. If you or a loved one has gambling issues, reach out to the National Problem Gambling Helpline for non-emergency help at 1-800-522-4700.
Abby Shriver is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu@abbyshriver_
