Since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, gambling has gone disturbingly mainstream. I don’t wager myself, but I don’t have strong feelings on whether the activity should be legal. Still, it’s probably not something we should be encouraging. Sports gambling causes myriad problems¹ with minimal benefits.².

And yet, If you watch any sports at all, it’s become impossible to avoid the constant pushes for gambling. There are relentless advertisements featuring celebrities who really, really don’t need the industry’s dirty money, along with frequent in-game betting content. I just want to watch a baseball game, not hear about how the network’s sponsored parlay bet is going. I don’t know if this is good for business overall, but it’s driving me away.

When ESPN went all-in on sports gambling, veteran journalist Nicole Noren had an even stronger reaction. Ultimately, she resigned in protest. Good for her.

Footnotes:

1. Including harm to personal finances and mental health, harassment of athletes, and of course, threats to the integrity of the games themselves. ↩︎

2. “Entertainment”, I suppose, tax revenue, and a slim chance to make money. Don’t worry, the algorithms are working to eliminate that. ↩︎