The Public Health Advocacy Institute is leading a push for gambling reforms that would bring accountability to sportsbooks and prediction markets.
The movement began with a Wednesday event in Washington D.C. in the Russell Senate Office Building, the oldest building used by the U.S. Senate.
Key Takeaways
- The group wants to see action by the U.S. Congress, state governments, and American citizens.
- The Public Health Advocacy Institute’s Executive Director said that every play in sports now presents a micro-betting opportunity.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said that gambling presented the largest integrity danger to sports.
The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) and Families and Friends of Gamblers (FFOG) co-launched the “Truth and Integrity: The Movement for Gambling Reform” campaign this week.
Labeled a “national movement,” the groups are calling on the public and both state and federal lawmakers to tackle the country’s mental health crisis. They believe that this can be done by going head-on with sports betting platforms, prediction platforms, and sports leagues.
“For more than 150 years, sports belonged to the American people, shared by grandparents, parents, children, siblings, and communities,” said Dr. Harry Levant, PHAI’s Director of Gambling Policy. “Today, our professional sports leagues, the NCAA, and individual teams have become full-fledged members of the gambling establishment.”
The sports industry has changed significantly since sports betting was federally legalized in 2018. Teams and leagues have been allowed to sign gambling, and now, prediction partners, who gain exclusive branding and engagement opportunities in-stadium and through digital media.
Consumers can also find markets for seemingly every aspect of their favorite games. From betting on outright winners to player performances and new mention markets, very little is off the table.
“By partnering with gambling companies, prediction markets, and powerful AI-driven technology companies, these institutions have become part of an interconnected gambling-industrial complex that has transformed sports into nonstop gambling platforms where every pitch, pass, possession, shot, and play presents another micro-betting opportunity,” said PHAI’s Executive Director, Mark Gottlieb.
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Sports leagues fueled problem gambling?
Former Oregon professors Dennis Howard and Roger Best estimated that the global sports industry was worth about $2.7 trillion.
There’s no shortage of methods to engage with teams close to home, whether that be through watching game broadcasts, catching social media highlights, or consuming news reports. But while simple competition is not seen as problematic, the lines between athletics and gambling have become increasingly blurred.
In a sworn testimony, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that gambling "unequivocally” would present the largest threat to the integrity of professional sports.
Former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said that gambling was “the deadliest of all things that can happen to a sport,” and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman previously questioned if sports could maintain separation from gambling while embracing its operators.
Those fears have played out in real time with scandals in numerous sports. Jontay Porter was given a lifetime ban from the NBA for limiting his performances for known sports bettors, while Terry Rozier was indicted for similar actions; Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were accused of fixing pitches to help win micro-bets for known affiliates; and a variety of college basketball players engaged in match-fixing after being bribed or threatened by gamblers.
“In the end, sports leagues and other institutions have become nothing more than delivery devices for more efficient and addictive online gambling products,” said Dick Daynard, President of PHAI.
Responsible gambling focuses
PHAI is already on the front line seeking accountability for sports and gambling operators. It filed a product liability lawsuit against operators and the NFL in March, claiming the defendants profited from addictive live micro-bets.
The upcoming movement will focus on three key areas: the U.S. Congress, state governments, and American citizens.
The hope is that Congress will hold hearings and pass preventative legislation. State governments will produce new reforms and have the option to pass additional safety measures, and the people will engage in advocacy, education, and demands for accountability.
