“Research shows that nearly half of all American adults (49%) participated in some form of gambling in the past year,” according to the American Gaming Association. Do the math; that is 166,643,778 people annually. Combine gambling– a predominately prevalent culture within America– with sports, the heart of many Americans, and you get sports betting. Up until April 8th in California, sports betting as well as e-sports betting, had not been widely legalized. However, this is changing. A recent IGA (Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow & Convention) meeting on April 8th, 2024 shows that CA may be legalizing sports betting by 2026, and e-sports betting by 2028.
To understand the significance of these developments, look at the current state of sports betting in California. Hudson Reports states, “The only legal gambling options in California are tribal casinos, the state lottery, pari mutuel wagering, and commercial cardrooms.” This is possible because California voters decided against sports betting in Proposition 26 and 27 in 2022. The overwhelming vote—which was about 80%—against sports betting shut down conversations about sports betting for some time. However, on April 8th, 2024, the IGA held a conference where certain keynote speakers conveyed their perspectives on legalizing sports betting in California. An article from Legal Sports Report states, “‘Listen, sports betting is going to happen,’ Rocha, [Indian Gaming Association conference chair,] told LSR. ‘We put it on the ballot in 2022 because we knew that it’s going to happen eventually. We were getting ahead of the game.’”
The implications of sports betting being widely legalized in California are beyond the scope to measure and could be very harmful to the youth of Claremont. A study done by New York Post finds, “Younger men aged 18 to 44 were also ‘most likely to be high-risk problem gamblers,’ according to the report, which noted that 19% of the 18 to 24 group were at a high risk for problem gambling.” Additionally, “Players aged 18 to 20 years old ‘are significantly more likely’ to chase their losses and bet beyond their affordability,” according to the Responsible Gambling Council. With many teens and college students in need of money to support their journey into adulthood, legalized sports betting could have a tremendously negative impact on this particular age group. The effects of potential widespread gambling addiction are compounded as sports are seen as a very accessible part of life.
The shift brings both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, legalized sports betting provides a regulated and safer environment for enthusiasts to engage in their favorite sport. Responsible gambling measures, such as age verification and addiction support services, could mitigate the potential harms associated with sports betting– especially for youth. On the other hand, with constant developments in legalized betting, it remains of utmost importance to educate youth and promote awareness campaigns that advocate for responsible behavior and prevention of gambling addictions.
