Sports-related gambling now, more than ever, has been popularized through online forms and apps created off its premise. An interview segment from the Texas Take Podcast shows Texas Gov. Greg Abbott supports online sports gambling, stating, “I don’t have a problem with online sports betting.” He went on to add that he would, “be shocked if there were not some Texans that do it already.”
Encouraging the online form of gambling for sports events is exactly where the issue lies. The form of something being online only leads to it being more accessible. The scenario in which families or friends bet with each other over the outcome of a Super Bowl game is one thing, but when it leads to an app that has access to someone’s bank account, having fun may no longer be harmless.
With a total of $121 billion made in bets from Americans alone throughout 2022, poor financial situations are common in those who participate in gambling overall. In states that have already legalized online sports gambling, research shows that such engagements have led to a higher rate of bankruptcies and lower credit scores. Gambling in sports through the screen of a person’s phone can affect them and their entire family’s future when habitual. Having a legal way to gamble so easily is a one-way road to making regretful mistakes that leave people penniless.
Abbott does not have the good of the people he governs in mind; he is ruled by his own greed. Many forget about the tax that the state government collects from forms of gambling — like the lottery, casinos and most importantly, sports betting. Those who wish to legally gamble their money away on their favorite fantasy football team see Abbott’s statement for legislation as him siding with the average sports fan. What he truly cares about is the money that goes into his pocket every time any Texan places that $20 bet.
Before betting became accessible in the palm of our hands in Texas, there was not a big gambling issue. Now, there is no need to leave the couch before pressing one button to lose everything. Studies report that the most common age range for sports bettors is ages 25-34. The people who are downloading these apps are just beginning their adult lives, and they are starting it with dwindling savings due to their addictions being enabled by government leaders like Abbott.
With sites like PrizePicks, DraftKings and so many more, the sports-fan-to-gambling-addict pipeline is more common than ever. Abbott shows where his values lie when voicing support for such financial ventures. The legalization of online sports gambling in Texas is not entirely in his hands, but his displayed favor gives it more power to become a reality. Texans’ money is not bound to be doubled or tripled. It is simply going into the greedy hands of government officials and corporations, and the population of the 28% of Americans who have filed for bankruptcy since legalization will only keep growing.
