Sports betting has ruined the fun of sports

By Gabriela Tobar

Sports betting has become very popular in recent years, with millions of users logging on to betting websites every day. Once sports betting became legal in New Jersey in 2018, and many other states, eager gamblers found the perfect opportunity to earn money. 

I would like to argue, however, that sports betting has ruined the authenticity of games; it has completely corrupted the “on the edge of my seat” fun of sports. 

Before sports betting, watching sports brought so much excitement no matter what sport it was. Viewers had no idea what to expect and no one placed a parlay, or wager, before a game; that was the beauty of it. 

Now, viewers place bets before a game and when the player or team they placed a bet on are not playing well, they become frustrated throughout the game. It is as if they forget what sports is all about. 

I love sports and the passion that comes with it. I love the players’ emotions, the fans cheering in the stands and the authenticity of it all. I believe that this authentic joy is being robbed by the increasing emphasis on betting on the games.  

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2025, 22% of U.S. adults said that they have personally placed bet money on sports in the past year. That percentage is 3% higher than it was in 2022. 

Apps like FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM, DraftKings and ESPN BET Sportsbook have become highly promoted on television and social media. Almost every commercial that I see for any of these betting apps, contain a former or active athlete and an actor. 

The way that sports betting is highly advertised must be why it draws the attention of young adults. If you think about it, they spend most of their time on social media and watching television, which is where most of these applications promote themselves. 

In the 2025 Pew Research survey, it was found that 17% of adults under the age of 30 have placed an online bet this past year. I feel like the appearance of these actors and athletes in the commercials influence young adults to place a bet themselves. 

Most of these impressionable adults probably cannot wait to turn 21 years old so that they can legally place a bet. But, unfortunately, this age restriction does not really prevent underage betting. 

Back in September of 2023, four former University of Iowa athletes plead guilty to underage gambling, according to ESPN. This resulted in penalties by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, including a fine of $645 for each of the former players. 

Aside from underage gambling, there have also been cases of illegal gambling in professional leagues. In October of this year, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach Chauncey Billups, were arrested with illegal gambling charges. 

I was definitely shocked to see Rozier’s name in that news but unfortunately, it is nothing new in the National Basketball Association. Sports betting also affects athletes because if they are caught betting on their own sport or league, they are susceptible to penalties that could be career-ending. 

Simply put, I do not see the point of an athlete placing a bet on sports. They are already rich enough, and at that point, it is as if they are throwing their whole athletic career away. 

If it were up to me, I do not think that athletes should be allowed to place bets on any sport. It seems unethical and useless. 

There are many problems with gambling, but a predominant concern is one developing a gambling addiction. According to an estimate by the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2.5 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem. 

That number is honestly heartbreaking to see. I often question if the disclaimer, “Gambling Problem? Call One Eight Hundred G-A-M-B-L-E-R,” at the end of every commercial that promotes sports betting, is actually effective. 

Sports betting has unfortunately caused the love for sports to oftentimes turn into hatred and frustration due to a player or team’s performance. It often does not even matter if a gambler’s team is winning because if the player they placed a bet on does poorly, they ultimately become frustrated because of the money they lost. 

I strongly dislike sports betting and how popular it has become, and it irritates me how heavily promoted it is now. Betting on players and teams has taken away the thrill of the sports I love to watch. 

Gabriela Tobar is a senior sports media major