Twenty-seven years after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act from 1992 was enforced, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of sports betting. Now, the federal government can’t prevent states from legalizing sports betting. The ban on sports betting has been lifted in some states, and many sports fans welcomed the news. Concerns regarding the sports betting market influencing professional sports have been dismissed as unfounded a long time ago. Even sports organizations and sports leagues don’t argue against legal sports gambling in the United States.
Alcohol Is Legal (And so Is Sugar)
Oftentimes, arguments against legalization of sports betting are made on moral grounds. These arguments are especially problematic since sports betting has never been proven to be more harmful than other legalized things that cause addiction or that can damage health. Alcohol can be addictive too and can damage health. However, if alcohol is enjoyed responsibly, all of the mentioned dangers can be easily avoided. The same goes for sports betting. If you bet on sports responsibly, occasionally, and for the sake of fun, then this activity is not going to damage your mental or social health. The problem happens when this activity turns into an addiction and starts to influence your behavior, decision-making, and mental health. However, we mustn’t forget how many highly addictive substances, such as nicotine and sugar, are legal.
There Are Many Other Ways to Be Irresponsible With Your Money
Besides health concerns, the legalization of sports betting raises the question of finances. Sports betting can cause people to waste their money away; this one is true, but it’s true for many legal activities too. Nowadays, people spend their money on tons of unnecessary things. So, we could ask the following question: Why is spending money on sports betting more irresponsible than spending all the time on shopping, sales, electronic devices, bank loans, credit card debts, or even expensive foods and nights out.
A part of the adult life of modern people includes spending a certain amount of their income on fun and entertainment. So, who is to say whether buying a completely unnecessary pair of shoes or a new phone when the old one still works is more irresponsible than betting a few bucks on a sporting event? Of course, one could say when you buy a product, you get some value for your money, but in betting, you can lose. This is completely true, but sports bettors also always get something for their money — entertainment and excitement. Some people like the excitement of betting, it makes a sports event even more interesting to them to watch. So, somebody’s cup of tea is frequently changing mobile phones, someone’s betting. In both cases, the principle is the same — people like to spend money on things that are not essential but simply fun.
Tax Revenue, Jobs, and Economy
Legalization of sports betting brings a lot of money to small communities, states, and the government through tax revenue. Also, sports betting is good for the local economy because it provides jobs for local residents. Sports betting casinos can offer a lot of full-time and part-time jobs to the community. Plus, as online sports betting is gaining more and more popularity, a lot of new apps and websites need to be developed all the time. This aspect can also increase growth in the IT sector and help the economy.
Legalization Makes It Easier to Control Shady Activities
Betting is old as time itself, and it will always be a part of our society. However, if sports betting is legal, it’s easier to control it. Legalized sports betting offers customer protection, and this is one of the crucial arguments for the legalization of sports betting. Plus, any illegal activities in the betting community can be easily spotted and sanctioned if sports betting is legal and monitored by the state.
Sports Betting and Games of Chance Are Not the Same
We saved this argument for the end. There is a huge difference between sports betting and games of chance. People who bet on sports rely on facts, statistics, knowledge, and expertise in order to try and predict the outcome of a sports event. Slot machine players, for example, rely on pure luck to win some money. The difference between the two is a very important argument for the legalization of sports betting.
For example, sports betting resembles the following situation. Let’s say that John is my neighbor and he comes by my house between 7:30 and 8 a.m. on his way to work. I know that he is responsible and punctual. So, if my friend Mike asks me to bet on whether John will pass by my house around 8 a.m., I would be very confident to bet that he will. Or if I hear that he is ill, I will guess that he is going to skip work, so I would bet on “no.” Whatever I choose, I could be wrong because something can always come up, but I would have big chances of winning too.
So, this is a very simplistic example of how sports betting works. On the other hand, playing Roulette is saying that John will look at his watch at his 57th step because you like number 57. All in all, sports betting is one part statistics, mathematics, and knowledge about a sport and other part predicting and guessing because sports events always have a tricky variable, i.e., the human factor.
Final Thoughts
Sports betting is not dangerous for mental and social health or financial stability if it’s enjoyed responsibly. The first two words of the previous sentence can be substituted with alcohol, sugar, or even shopping. So, this is the point — sports betting is not a reason for concern unless it causes addictive and auto-destructive behavior. Plus, it is not similar to games of chance since it’s mostly based on statistics and facts. It’s more of a mental exercise than pure guessing. Also, sports betting can help the economy, and that’s an important argument.