The gambling industry has been around for many years, but sports betting is just beginning to be introduced around the country as well as Iowa.
As of now, the United States has 20 states that have legalized betting, six which are working on the legalization process, and the other 24 states are not making it a priority.
The reason sports betting has yet to be allowed at a nationwide level is because there is little benefit. Legalizing sport betting would only boost revenue slightly while causing many challenges to arise such as opposing casino operators, and the firmly regulated gambling industry. Due to only the slight benefit compared to the vast amount of details surrounding the area, some state lawmakers have chosen to stick to their current laws.
Underage users are also an issue. With sports being one of the main sources of entertainment for people 17 years and younger, many people are guilty of illegally participating in sports betting. It has proved that the system is too easy to “finesse” while kids are setting up accounts under parental information.
In this day and age, technology has evolved so much that people of any age can so easily sign onto the internet and start placing bets at any time or place. Senior Michael Vanderschaaf, who has caught himself using his fathers account a few times says that “It’s pretty easy to sports bet when you’re under 21, once your parent or whoever owns the account sets it up through the casino, there aren’t anymore security measures to stop anyone from using the account.”
Sports betting may be the most dangerous type of betting because of the consistency of sports being played and shown on large platforms. Many people find it as a fun way to become more attached to sports. Jack Leslie, an active sports better, says that “It makes games I don’t really care about more intriguing to watch, it also gets me pumped up because I can make money while doing what I love.” He explained that there is no better feeling than winning a big bet.
Through all of these factors, it is safe to say that there are plenty of reasons to resist the rise of sports betting, but is that enough to take away the joy that people get from this?
