The Super Bowl is just five days away, and Tuesday was a day for several organizations to talk about the impact of sports betting on society.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) described this week as an “especially challenging time” due to the competing priorities of state governments legalizing sports wagering in an attempt to find new ways to generate tax revenue to combat coronavirus-related deficits and people who struggle with gambling problems.
Since the May 2018 Supreme Court decision to strike down restrictions on sports wagering, 20 states plus DC have legalized sports betting – 11 in the past year and two just in late January (Virginia and Michigan).
The NCPG said the Super Bowl is the biggest betting event of the year, adding the “incessant media hype” in the days leading up to Super Sunday puts pressure on those who are trying to maintain their recovery, reduce their gambling or simply gamble only as much as they can afford.
Via its “Keep Your Super Bowl Safer” message, the NCPG urges individuals, public health agencies, sports betting operators and media outlets to promote the following tips to prevent gambling from becoming a problem:
- Set specific limits on the time and money spent gambling
- Seek help to manage negative feelings that can fuel addiction
- Recognize gambling is inherently an activity with long-term losses, due to house advantage and chance.
“Unfortunately, NCPG expects the number of people with gambling problems to grow with each passing year, because both the amount of money and the number of people who bet on sports grows with each passing year,” Keith Whyte, NCPG executive director, said in a statement.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the American Gaming Association said its research estimates in-person betting on the Super Bowl will decline due to sportsbook closures, but online handle will jump by 63% YOY. The AGA said the net results will be fewer Americans placing a bet on the game.
However, Sara Slane, gaming industry veteran and founder of the Slane Advisory, released a statement asserting more legal bets will be placed on this year’s Super Bowl than ever before.
“For years, fans have bet billions of dollars illegally on the Big Game, but legal sports betting has never been more widespread than it is today,” Slane said. “Nearly three years after the Supreme Court paved the way for states to capture lost revenue going to offshore sites and corner bookies, exactly half of all NFL teams are located in states with legal sports betting. Sports betting has taken off like a rocket ship and is only getting started.”
The NCPG said it has responded to this dynamic by working aggressively to strengthen the responsible gambling experience for consumers and make treatment options more widely available, affordable and accessible.
“We want everyone to enjoy the Super Bowl, but we also want people to recognize the challenges that come with the rapid expansion of sports betting – especially on mobile phones,” NCPG’s Whyte said.
