DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Billions of dollars are being wagered by sports bettors as the NCAA tournament games advance and Major League Baseball starts its season.
DraftKings sports betting app.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimates Americans will legally wager $3.1 billion this year up from $2.7 billion in 2024 on both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments combined. Also in 2024, Americans bet $148 billion for the year.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to legalized sports betting with a 2018 decision, 38 state plus Washington D.C. have legalized sports betting on some level. Phone apps and sportsbooks, like one at Wrigley Field in Chicago, give people easy access to betting platforms.
Critics of the rapid growth of sports betting include Gambling Therapist Harry Levant who points to the non-stop sports action which gives gamblers the ability to bet virtually around the clock on everything from football, to baseball and basketball to obscure sports like ping pong and badminton.
“Gambling we have known for more than 12 years is an addictive product just like heroin, opioids and tobacco, and alcohol and cocaine,” Levant told WAND News. “I’m sitting right here, right now as we record this, it’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I have a phone in my hand. You can literally bet on the speed of every serve in a tennis match.”
Levant also talks about ‘micro betting’ where you can bet on virtually every play in a game. For example, in baseball you can bet on the speed of a pitch. Whether a batter will hit a single, double or homerun, or simply strike out. Bets throughout the game can add up.
Lori Kalani is the Chief Responsible Gaming Officer at DraftKings, one of the largest online and sportsbook operators in the nation. During Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March Kalani talked to WAND News about efforts to help bettors practice responsible gaming. Those using their phones have access to tools where they can put time or betting limits on their own use of a DraftKings app.
“Whether you’re a casual bettor, or somebody who spends more time betting and placing wagers, everybody should set a budget,” Kalani said.
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