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Sports BettingThe Bradley Act, passed in 1992, outlawed sports gambling in American states where it wasn't already legal. However, a 2018 Supreme Court decision spurred the legalization of online gambling state by state, turning sports betting into a multibillion-dollar industry that's legal in 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Gambling in America dates back to the colonial era, but religious movements in the 19th and early-20th centuries successfully pushed to outlaw gambling in much of the US, though it continued in New Orleans, on riverboat casinos, and on the black market. Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 to generate revenue during the Great Depression and paved the way for Las Vegas to become the gaming capital of the US.
Critics of the rising industry say sports betting has become a serious social problem in the US, especially for boys and young men. Explore Sports Betting
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How much does sports betting generate?According to 2025 data, sports betting generated $2.7B in state tax revenue. That number has increased every year since the government began collecting data in 2021. USAFactsSports betting is regulated by the SEC, but 'prediction markets' for sports are notSites like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to make bets on sports outcomes, though their positioning (as prediction markets, not originally intended for retail investors) helps them avoid the scrutiny of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Instead, they under the supervision of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Some worry that the lack of oversight has encouraged insider trading, putting everyday users at a severe disadvantage and potentially corrupting the integrity of professional sports. Citation NeededMLB pitchers were charged with benefiting from sports bettingIn November 2025, two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians were charged with coordinating with sports bettors to enrich themselves and others. In many instances, they shared the kinds of pitches they would throw at specific points in the game. Bettors then placed money on those actions. PBS NewsA 2025 NBA scandal exposes athlete participation in sports bettingIn October 2025, a current coach, a current player, and a former player and assistant coach were arrested as part of an FBI investigation into a large-scale gambling ring. The current player, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, is accused of using non-public information to bettors. CBS Sports'Moneyball' author Michael Lewis believes sports betting is a problem for young menThe noted journalist and author of "Moneyball," "The Big Short," and "The Blind Side" has now fixed his discerning eye on the sports-betting industry. In this interview, he explains why he sees sports betting as a problem for American society, especially boys and young men, and why he believes the government needs to regulate the nascent industry more seriously. Channels with Peter KafkaSports betting, explainedSince a 2018 Supreme Court decision overturned the Bradley Act, which spurred a state-by-state legalization of online gambling, sports betting has become a rapidly growing multibillion-dollar industry. 1440Sports media have also embraced sports bettingFor decades, ESPN kept its distance between reporting on games and talking about gambling lines. Sports teams refused to have franchises in Las Vegas, fearing it would harm the sport. But since 2018, that has changed. ESPN’s personalities regularly pick games, and the company has also launched its own betting app. Outside the LinesMental health experts caution against youth sports bettingPeople in their early 20s represent the fastest-growing group of sports gamblers. That fact concerns mental health professionals, who warn that early exposure to gaming primes children’s brains to seek digital rewards. American Psychological AssociationIn 1992, sports betting was outlawed in places where it wasn't already legalOn Oct. 29, 1992, then-President George HW Bush signed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, outlawing sports gambling where it was not already legal. Sports IllustratedSports betting is legal in 47 states and the District of ColumbiaThis downloadable map provides an easy-to-see overview of each state's position on legalized gambling, including a breakdown of online versus retail betting. Click on a state, and a new page will provide information on what type of wagers are allowed, key regulations, tax rate data, and where that tax money will be allocated. American Gaming AssociationHenry Chadwick invented the box score in 1859—and wrote off walks as a pitcher's failureThe English migrant adapted cricket statistics for baseball, publishing the first box score in the game's early days. Baked into that was a dismissal of the walk as reflecting a batter's skill, instead implying it was a pitcher's mistake. That assumption kept walks out of the box score for more than a century, concealing the skill involved in drawing walks. NPRWhat it means to call a bracket 'chalk'If the tournament is rather boring, you might hear a curious word getting thrown around: "chalk." In short, it means that the favorites have been winning. The word's origins go back to horse racing and its sportsbooks, where bookies would post odds on chalkboards. Over time, the bookies came to be known as "chalk" and, years later, tournaments (and their brackets) that seemed to favor those bookies earned the name, too. Vocabulary.comHow prediction markets differ from sportsbooks matters for regulationThere are a number of differences and similarities between sportsbooks and prediction markets, despite both allowing people to bet on outcomes for sports-related events. For instance, prediction markets typically earn revenue through transaction fees rather than taking directional exposure to outcomes. Sports IllustratedSome experts equate prediction markets to the new crack cocaine of gambling addictionAn addiction psychiatrist at UCLA says betting apps are far more potent than traditional gambling, citing a 19-year-old patient who lost $180,000 and hadn't left campus in a year, cycling through sports bets, crypto, meme stocks, and prediction markets on his phone. This interview explores the extreme edge of the nascent industry. NautilusThe unexpected return of the steakhouseAlthough the 2010s and early 2020s saw fewer people eating red meat, the momentum has now swung in the opposite direction, with vegetarian spots closing and hip new restaurants slinging beef. Food writer Bettina Makalintal makes sense of the sudden shift by unpacking the steakhouse's resurgence. EaterFrictionless online gambling platforms accelerate compulsive behaviorAs of late 2025, as much as 95% of bets are placed online, where "always on" betting and a variety of formats, such as prop bets and parlays, encourage users to keep participating. Experts warn that the normalization of gambling through advertisements also reduces the perceived danger of addictive gambling. Horizons with PBS NewsYou can bet on the color of the Gatorade dumped on the winning coach for the Super BowlMany sports books offer additional prop bets reserved only for the Super Bowl, including the Gatorade color, the length of the national anthem, and more. In 2026, the betting favorite for the Gatorade color is orange. Sports IllustratedLegal gambling on Super Bowl 60 is expected to reach $1.76BLegal Super Bowl wagering has grown sharply over the past decade as US states legalized sports betting. In 2018, sports betting was only legal in Nevada and accounted for $158.5M. USA TODAYHow math whizzes exploit sportsbooks Chris Dirkus is a professional sports bettor who approaches the hobby as a math problem, not from a fan's perspective. He focuses on mispriced odds in popular games where many fans are betting for high liquidity. He's one of a rare segment of sports bettors exploiting slow models and human mistakes. VICE Sports"Guessing what the pitcher is going to throw is 80 percent of being a successful hitter. The other 20 percent is just execution."- Baseball star Hank Aaron (1934-2021) Baseball (and other cool stuff)Most people breathe fungal spores daily without getting sickMost people breathe in hundreds of Aspergillus fumigatus spores daily without getting sick—it’s a common microscopic fungus in our environment. But people who are severely ill, including those who have undergone an organ transplant, are at risk of developing infections from these spores. University of Tennessee College of PharmacyDeveloping adaptable brain-body systems lets athletes thrive beyond 30Success in high-level sports after age 30 relies on physical fitness and building brain resilience through deliberate training, recovery, and stress regulation. This creates a feedback loop where body and mind reinforce each other. ScienceAlertRunners typically burn 2,600 calories during a marathonThey also burn between 5-10 pounds of water weight, often feel more focused and elated (thanks to increased neurotransmitters), and, oddly enough, temporarily grow about a half-inch shorter due to back muscles tensing. Runner's WorldESPN’s College GameDay show has been a Saturday staple since 1987Debuting in 1987, College GameDay has become college football’s premier pregame show—broadcasting live from campuses nationwide, featuring spirited fan signs, and setting the stage for the day’s biggest matchups. The RingerFantasy sports have turned fans into 'second screen' consumersThe rise of smartphones made fantasy sports more accessible and contributed to a phenomenon called “second screen consumption,” where sports fans are not only watching a live broadcast but are simultaneously watching the statistics from that game play out in their fantasy matchup. The ConversationAn estimated 49 million people played fantasy football in 2022The number, estimated by the Fantasy Sports and Gaming Association, has grown exponentially since the start of the century. While fantasy sports in general are popular, football is the most popular, with an estimated 79% of fantasy participants playing fantasy football. Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association'Daily fantasy' is a high-stakes subset of fantasy sportsThe form, pioneered by platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings, uses anonymous daily leagues and large payouts, looks more like typical betting than the season-long, community-minded setup of more traditional fantasy. FRONTLINE PBS | Official'I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.'- Baseball legend Babe Ruth (1895-1948) Quote FancyWhy governments are betting big on sportsCountries in the Middle East, as well as China, are investing heavily in beloved sports franchises, from English Premier League soccer teams to rogue golf leagues like LIV Golf. The purpose is to gain soft power, where countries can gain credibility and legitimacy through cultural events. FreakonomicsNASCAR started declining in 2007In the 1990s and early 2000s, NASCAR was one of the biggest sports in North America. It was racking up ratings and ticket sales on par with the NFL, and even beating the NBA Finals viewership. Ratings went down in 2007 and stayed there until 2018 due to a number of factors such as a changing media landscape, rule changes, and the retirement of popular drivers. Kenny WallaceMajor League Baseball, explainedMajor League Baseball is America’s oldest professional sports league. Alongside triumphs, the league has faced scandals, including drug abuse and steroid use, shaping its path over the decades. Today, MLB embraces new rules, international talent, and a growing connection to legalized sports betting. 1440Even athletes aren't immune to the sports-betting crazeWhile gambling scandals occasionally blew up before 2018, the widespread legalization of sports betting provided athletes with more opportunities to bet on the games they were playing. Bloomberg OriginalsSports leagues have attempted to prevent athletes from bettingAs pro and collegiate sports embrace betting (and the revenue that comes with it), each league works diligently to ensure the integrity of the games by hiring private firms to analyze irregular bets. These companies have flagged bets that led to the firing of Alabama’s baseball coach, the suspension of multiple athletes at Iowa and Iowa State, and, most recently, a lifetime ban on former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter by the NBA in April 2024. Sports IllustratedDecoding sports-betting languageThe world of sports gambling is filled with insider lingo: What's a "spread"? How about a "moneyline" or a "parlay"? This resource breaks down the jargon, helping you navigate the industry or, at least, giving you the keys to talk about it. CoversExperts suggest the industry could be a $45B businessSports betting used to primarily consist of who would win and the points spread, but the rise of online betting apps has fueled a substantial increase in parlay bets. "Existing markets are still growing at a rapid clip," said Noah Naparst, who evaluates sports-betting companies for Goldman Sachs. "So we’re not mature yet, but we’re not in the early wildcat days of the market anymore, either.” Goldman SachsA timeline of sports-betting scandalsThis timeline examines memorable moments from three decades of sports-betting history. It breaks down key political moments, as well as some historical moments such as when the internet pushed underground bookmaking online. There are also multiple descriptions of betting scandals from 1989 on. ESPN
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