Sports Betting is Terrible
And someone needs to rein it in
(update: yes I know the personal story isn’t very happy or fun, but I’m leaving it up because that’s what triggered this change. It would be dishonest to say I changed my stance only because of Ohtani’s story or the oversaturation of gambling ads. Plus that’s how I felt, if I ever hear their side of the story I’ll happily listen, until then that’s where I am)
So last weekend I was preparing a post where I make my predictions on the 2024 season. I did the same thing last year, basically divvying up $1,000 and betting on things like win totals, playoff results and award winners. I was sort of excited to do them; last year I made money doing it. But then a couple things happened between last week and today and I shelved that post. I’ll still post my predictions because those are fun, but as of today I’m done with sports gambling.
Baseball and Gambling - 1800s to 2018
Since the beginning of time, gambling was the number one sin in baseball. You know the big stories. The 1919 Black Sox, who threw the World Series in protest of their cheap owner and colluded with gamblers. Pete Rose might not be the only person to ever bet on baseball while on a Major League team, but he was the most degenerate and sloppiest and got caught. There are a lot of things players can and have gotten away with over the years. Domestic violence, drugs, PEDs, etc. But gambling was always the red line. Get caught and you’re out.
And then the 2018 Supreme Court ruling came down and the floodgates opened. Quickly, several states legalized sports betting, and as of the start of the 2024 season, 38 states have legalized it. Coupled with the prevalence of smartphone apps and ease of access, it took off. You know this already. If you watched any sort of sports in the past 6 years, you realize the only advertisements you ever see anymore are for beer, boner pills and sports betting.
You know what all those ads come with? Disclaimers and fine print read faster than an auctioneer on energy drinks. Every pharmaceutical ad has side effects up to and including death, mentioned just after they show excited middle-aged men giving their wives 10 minutes of loving on their new pill. Every alcohol ad comes with a reminder to drink responsibility and only if you’re over 21, while every sports league tries to draw as many eyeballs younger than age 21 to their product. And then there’s sports betting ads, promising riches with celebrity endorsements, flashing dollar signs that only the craziest, most unlikely parlay bets can muster and all kinds of dollar-matching incentives to deposit with them. You know why they offer 100% deposit matches? Because you’re going to lose it.
So what does it matter? Adults should be able to make their own choices. And that’s true, but if you haven’t noticed, adults are increasingly misled by con-men, shady marketing practices and flat out lies to get your vote, business, or God-knows-what-else.
Remember when cigarette ads were everywhere? Watch old sports highlights and you’ll see big Marlboro billboards, or open an old Sports Illustrated and see Joe Camel living it up next to a warning that says smoking causes birth defects. Then in the 70s, legislation was put in to ban ads from TV and radio. Over the years, it grew to include print. Every few years something else would pop up trying to subvert the law, like smokeless tobacco or vape pens. Well in 1970 the smoking rate in America was over 40%. Today it is under 15%. And the people who do choose to smoke do so knowing the health consequences.
What about the other vices? We banned tobacco ads because they promised something relaxing while also destroying the lives, health, finances and fabric upholstery of millions of homes. Do you think alcohol doesn’t fall under that? Every beer ad promises the night of your life. How many times has a case of beer actually led to the “night of your life”? I know the rare times I do over-imbibe are the ones that have cost me the most. And that’s just personally. What about the drunk driving accidents, long-term health consequences and actual domestic harm caused by drinking? Pharmaceutical ads promise restored health and vibrancy in a commercial when you should be getting that from your doctor.
What about sports gambling? Just like every other vice, most of the population can manage it without it becoming a problem. But what about the lives being destroyed by sports betting? Turn on halftime or intermission shows on sports broadcasts and the announcers have their “picks of the game” and live odds on a comeback or whatever prop bet. For every 9 people who ignore the temptation or bet within their means, there’s one person who messes up. And that person chases their losses and ends up bankrupt and ruined, leading to stories of theft, other crimes, suicides, etc. But still, sports betting companies get to push their product as if it’s a way to complement your income. Just put in $10 here and win $100!
Which leads to the story of the baseball season so far…
Shohei Ohtani and the gambling scandal everyone should’ve expected
Not with Ohtani specifically, but with sports betting so entwined in the sports world right now, no one was immune to being harmed by it. For those unaware, Shohei Ohtani, the current face of baseball who just signed a $700million deal with the Dodgers, was reported to have made wire transfers totaling over $4million to a sports bookie in California, where gambling on sports is still illegal. The story right now is that it was Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, that stole the money to cover his gambling debts. The IRS, MLB, FBI, and possibly the Paw Patrol, are investigating now.
Is it a scandal? Yes. I believe Ohtani, for now. But the actual truth of the story is irrelevant to the optics. Major League Baseball has fattened up on gambling money since that Supreme Court ruling came in. The sport that was known for the harshest punishments for gambling suddenly had odds on their scoreboards, articles on their league pages about what prop bets to play and so much more. If they had any integrity, they’d pause and look at what’s happening.
There are cracks appearing all over the sports landscape where sports betting is beginning to influence the actual games. College and pro athletes have been suspended and investigated for gambling, fishy wagering on certain markets, and other things. So Calvin Ridley was suspended a year and lost a few million in salary for betting while he was on injured reserve. The NFL has made millions and millions from the legalized gambling industry in part because you can bet on Calvin Ridley’s performance on the field. The NBA’s Jontay Porter is currently under investigation for action on his prop bets.
The money wins out. The leagues will keep suspending the bad actors and insist there isn’t a problem so they can keep that income stream flowing. But every new story that comes out, the doubts grow. Did that ump call that outside strike to end the inning with two runners on because that’s his strike zone? Or was he trying to influence the over/under? Why did that runner blow through a stop sign trying to turn a double into a triple? Just excited? Or was he trying to make Over 2.5 total bases happen? You can only give the benefit of the doubt for so long until you lose all trust. Baseball just went through this turning a blind eye to performance enhancing drugs. Why? Because of the money. Chicks dig the long ball. And fans love to gamble.
But until someone stands up and acts as the voice of reason, it’s up to us as individuals to ignore the flashing dollar signs, or photoshopped campaign ads or whatever else the descendants of Mad Men have cooking up. Which brings me to where I personally reached the end of my gambling days…
It’s a sickness
It’s an addiction. Not every addiction is crippling. Especially at first. I like drinking Coca-Cola, sometimes too much. Is it gonna kill me? I hope not, but I’m sure a cavity or two are from that particular addiction. Well, I had a friend. And I don’t know for sure if they’re addicted or not. But I do know this friend loves to place bets, drink and make questionable decisions in their love life.
So last week, in a group chat, this friend brought up a hockey bet they had made and was nervous about it. The details aren’t too important, but it involved a team making the Stanley Cup playoffs and if they should stick with their bet or cash out with the season ending soon. I told them to stick with it, just a gut feeling. So the next morning, I was thinking a little more about it and did some math and realized this person could hedge their bet and guarantee a payout. I tried to explain it. They got confused. It was a lot to try to text so I said, just call me and I’ll explain the process in like 5 minutes. You’d think that’d be fine.
So a couple hours later, I got a text message: “I’m about to take a nap. Should I keep the bet?” I said just call after the nap, I can step out and take 5 minutes whenever. So a couple hours after that I got another text message: “Can’t talk on phone can you explain. I’m sorry.” I didn’t respond. There’s 24 hours a day and somewhere in that span you’d think 5 minutes could be spared for this conversation. Notice that the word “please” is nowhere to be found.
I didn’t respond, but I’m an idiot and the next day I texted what they should do. I said, if you trust me do this, and I’ll explain some other way. Then I posted this to explain it to my friend “Fred”:
I didn’t get a thank you or even an acknowledgement. I got unfollowed. I’d served my purpose, I provided gambling advice and that’s all I was good for. They’ll enjoy their winnings, probably brag to their friends about it and move on.
A solution?
There isn’t one. Gambling was part of sports before it was legal and it will be if it were to be banned again. But get the goddamn ads off the radios, screens and ballpark signs. There has been some positive progress made in Europe with the ‘whistle to whistle’ ban. The tobacco industry in the United States generated $75billion in revenue without a single television ad in 2022. The $10.5billion sports betting industry will be just fine without polluting the airwaves with their bullshit.
Excuse me, now I need a cigarette.