A collage featuring many sports betting websites (Saayan Shah / The Puma Prensa)
By Saayan Shah, Staff Writer
Over the past several years, sports betting has become one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment in the United States. Once a niche form of gambling overshadowed by the great casinos of Las Vegas, it is now accessible to millions of Americans through their phones. Today, people can place bets on almost any professional sporting event, from football and basketball to professional rock-paper-scissors tournaments.
With the growing popularity of sports betting apps, fueled by celebrity endorsements and constant advertising, gambling has become a normalized part of American sports culture. Sports betting gives fans a way to engage with their favorite teams. It creates significant economic opportunities, but increased participation has raised concerns about possible financial losses and its influence on younger generations.
The biggest reason for growth in sports betting in the United States is the legalization of online gambling across the United States. In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing individual states to decide whether to legalize sports betting. Since then, the industry has expanded significantly; according to recovered.org the amount of money wagered on sports in the United States rose from $4.9 billion in 2017 to $121.1 billion in 2023.The dramatic increase of almost 2500% in just seven years presents serious concerns about how future generations will be exposed to and be affected by sports.
Technology has also changed the way people participate in sports betting. Gambling has been fueled by companies like DraftKings and FanDuel, which have taken advantage of the massive increase in sports betting popularity by creating mobile apps that let customers place bets without visiting a physical casino. Instead of placing a single bet before a game begins, users can now make multiple bets throughout an event. These apps allow users to place multiple bets throughout an event, commonly called in-game or live bets. Users can bet on in-game or live events, such as which player will score next or what the half-time score will be. The convenience of being able to gamble anywhere, at any time, and on whatever the user wants can lead to rash, impulsive decisions; a person can open an application and bet within seconds.
Another major factor contributing to the popularity of sports betting is advertising. Gambling companies spend significant amounts of money promoting their applications through television commercials, social media, sports broadcasts, and celebrity endorsements. For example, celebrities such as Kevin Hart have appeared in advertising campaigns for DraftKings, and professional athletes like LeBron James have been associated with gambling apps like Polymarket. These celebrities have large fan bases, making their advertisements appealing to many different demographics, but most importantly, they are pushing sports gambling onto the youth. Young kids idolize athletes like LeBron James and will follow and practice many of the activities that he promotes. With so many famous athletes promoting sports betting, gambling is becoming a normal part of being a fan.
The biggest concern surrounding the rise of sports betting is the financial damage it causes to individuals and families. According to research discussed by the American Institutes for Boys and Men, states that legalized online sports betting experienced an increase in bankruptcy rates three to four years after legalization. The study also found increases in debt collection and missed auto loan payments. The statistics don’t lie: sports gambling is a pandemic for people to become bankrupt, and for people who are already struggling financially. The research also found that young men, particularly those living in lower-income areas, experienced the strongest negative financial effects, even though they didn’t have as much money to gamble in the first place. Sports Betting companies market their brands to make money. The data shows that sports betting is a net negative for the economy and creates problems that will affect the financial future for many American citizens.
These gambling apps are effective at getting people to return to their app even after losing money. A September 2026 CBS News Investigation found that companies like DraftKings and FanDuel use customer data to monitor betting habits and send notifications to bring users back to their apps. Some frequent bettors are even offered VIP memberships, signed jerseys, luxury experiences, and personal managers. One example from the investigations involved a recovering gambling addict named Louis Ruggiero, who lost $100,000 from FanDuel in three months. Despite these losses, multiple gambling companies offered him VIP status to entice him to bet more. These companies claim to provide responsible gambling tools, such as deposit limits and timeouts, but investigations like this one reinforce that their main priority is keeping customers betting.
Ultimately, sports betting has become much more than a way for fans to make money while watching sports; it has developed into a massive industry that uses technology, advertising, and celebrity influence to attract millions of customers. The consequences cannot be ignored; financial struggles, gambling addictions, and the exposure to younger audiences through celebrity influence are serious issues that deserve more attention. As sports gambling continues to expand, lawmakers and gambling companies need to take greater responsibility for protecting consumers, especially more financially vulnerable individuals. Sports should be something people enjoy for entertainment, not something that encourages them to risk their financial stability.