{"id":2284162,"date":"2024-06-26T17:11:57","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T21:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legalized-sports-betting-creates-new-generation-of-problematic-gamblers-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:24:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T21:24:26","slug":"legalized-sports-betting-creates-new-generation-of-problematic-gamblers-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legalized-sports-betting-creates-new-generation-of-problematic-gamblers-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Legalized sports betting creates new generation of problematic gamblers &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flegalized-sports-betting-creates-new-generation-of-problematic-gamblers-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2284162&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Jodi D., a 42-year-old from Virginia who became swept up in the lucrative but dangerous world of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-gambles-with-its-future\/\" title=\"America Gambles With Its Future\">online sports betting<\/a>, epitomizes a broader American crisis. After moving to New York in 2022, she enjoyed initial financial success by designing graphic T-shirts. However, she spiraled into \u2063addiction after getting introduced \u200cto the\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-slots-to-smartphones-pandemic-sends-australias-gambling-problem-online\/\" title=\"Analysis-Slots to smartphones: pandemic sends Australia\u2019s gambling problem online\">sports betting app<\/a>\u2063 FanDuel.\u2064 Within\u200b months, Jodi was in deep financial\u200c trouble, having gambled away significant \u200csums, \u2063including rent money,\u2062 leading her to pawn her grandmother&#8217;s engagement ring.<\/p>\n<p>This personal debacle coincides with the broader legalization and \u2063explosion \u2064of sports betting in the U.S., following the\u2063 Supreme Court&#8217;s 2018 overthrow of\u2064 the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.\u200d This has led\u200c many\u2064 states to legalize\u200b sports \u200bbetting\u200d as a revenue source,\u2063 with about 164 million American adults \u200cnow living in states with legal sports betting markets. The online\u2063 betting landscape,\u2064 valued at $161\u2063 billion \u200dglobally, is\u200b set\u200d to hit\u2062 $325 billion by\u200c 2031.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200b rapid expansion of sports betting is\u2064 facilitated by\u2063 an aggressive \u2064lobbying effort by sports\u2063 leagues,\u2062 betting operators, and allies, including deploying lobbyists who ensure favorable legislations. However, this\u200b expansion comes \u200bwith a \u2064significant human cost.\u200c Experts \u2062warn it fosters an environment where\u200c addiction can flourish, affecting vulnerable\u200d groups disproportionately, leading to increased calls to\u2063 problem gambling helplines and raising \u200bpublic health concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Several states experiencing massive tax windfalls have been slow \u2064in addressing\u2062 these issues. \u200dAlthough states like\u200b Arizona, Colorado, and\u2063 Louisiana generated millions in revenue,\u2064 only a fraction\u2063 goes towards supporting gambling\u2063 addiction programs. Despite these challenges, the\u2062 links between sports leagues, betting \u2064platforms, and broadcasters continue to deepen, promoting a culture\u200c increasingly permissive of gambling. <\/p>\n<p>The growing challenge reflects a societal shift where the immediate financial benefits to states and businesses seem to outweigh \u2064the\u200b considerable human costs\u2014an imbalance\u2063 that critics like Jodi \u200durge needs redress.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Jodi D. went from living her best life to hocking her grandmother\u2019s engagement ring to feed\u00a0her online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gambling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"sports betting addiction\">sports betting addiction<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>It took less than three months. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 FanDuel, DraftKings and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone in San Francisco, Sept. 26, 2022. (AP Photo\/Jeff Chiu, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The 42-year-old graphic T-shirt designer left Richmond, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Virginia\">Virginia<\/a>, in 2022 and headed north, with dreams of making it big in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Big Apple\">Big Apple<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>She found a job in Williamsburg, a hipster haven in Brooklyn, New York, that also catered to trust fund babies. A T-shirt that went for $25 in Virginia easily sold for $125 there. In one\u00a0summer, she made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"more money\">more money<\/a> than she\u00a0ever\u00a0had in her life. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was on top of the world until I wasn\u2019t,\u201d she told the <em>Washington\u00a0Examiner<\/em>, who she\u00a0asked not to\u00a0reveal her\u00a0last name for fear it could hurt future employment opportunities.\u00a0\u201cIt was a hard\u00a0fall.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>To Jodi, sports was something that had always happened in the background.\u00a0Her dad and brother were fans of football, basketball, baseball, golf, and bowling. She was the more \u201cartsy\u201d type. In a good year, she might have caught the tail end of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/super-bowl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Super Bowl Halftime Show\">Super Bowl Halftime Show<\/a> if she remembered to watch.<\/p>\n<p>One night, at a party in a drained-out swimming pool in\u00a0Williamsburg,\u00a0she noticed a group of people with their eyes glued to their phones, occasionally letting out cheers or an expletive.\u00a0A few days later, she started getting referrals from friends she met at that party to join <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsbook.fanduel.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"FanDuel, a sports betting app\">FanDuel, a sports betting app<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>She had never placed a bet before, didn\u2019t really care, but was bored and lured in with a promotional offer for a \u201crisk-free\u201d bet and a $300 bonus credit.\u00a0She downloaded the app and started placing a few wagers. A few weeks in, she won $300. <\/p>\n<p>Then she bet some more. Sometimes during lunch, sometimes when she couldn\u2019t sleep. <\/p>\n<h2>Hooked<\/h2>\n<p>Ten weeks later, she was down $16,000. <\/p>\n<p>It only got worse from there. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hid from my roommate because I lost the rent money,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cI lied to my boyfriend. I lied to my friends and my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>family<\/a>. I lost their trust \u2026 and I\u2019m still trying to get it back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What happened to Jodi wasn\u2019t a one-off. <\/p>\n<p>She is one of thousands of people who have been caught up in the online sports betting craze that has swept across America.<\/p>\n<p>Illegal just a decade ago, today, it\u2019s everywhere.\u00a0There are roughly 164 million American adults who live in a legal sports-betting market. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTowards the\u00a0end, I spiraled every time I turned on my Mac or looked at my phone,\u201d she said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t prepared for how fast it would\u00a0consume every aspect of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201ci wasn\u2019t prepared for how fast it could consume every aspect of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <cite>Jodi D., recovering gambling addict <\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1816194\/supreme-court-allows-states-to-legalize-sports-betting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"overturned\">overturned<\/a> the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a nationwide ban on sports betting outside of Nevada. Since then, there\u2019s been a mad dash among many state legislatures to legalize sports betting as a new and extremely lucrative source of tax revenue.<\/p>\n<p>So far, 30\u00a0states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legalized it, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americangaming.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"American Gaming Association\">American Gaming Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Multi-billion dollar industry<\/h2>\n<p>The global sports betting market is currently valued at $161 billion, and is on track to hit $325 billion by 2031, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.databridgemarketresearch.com\/reports\/global-sports-betting-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"according to research\">according to research<\/a> released last month.<\/p>\n<p>States, blinded by the thought of hefty tax revenues, have gotten on board with big betting companies. <\/p>\n<p>Online betting <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/north-carolina-sports-wagering-gambling-9a3689245f942e0750e4abd44675edea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"became legal in North\u00a0Carolina\">became legal in North\u00a0Carolina<\/a> on March 11, 2024.<\/p>\n<p>In less than two months, it surpassed the $1 billion mark in legal mobile sports bets, according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. <\/p>\n<p>The total bet in North Carolina between March 11-31 was $659.3 million. Between April 1-30, it was $648.9 million. The total won in March was $590.8 million, and $538.4 million in April. In April, North Carolinians lost $105.3 million (the total amount of bets placed, won, and canceled). The $105.3 million, known as gross wagering revenue, was taxed 18% by North Carolina. So, the state\u2019s revenue for April from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/march-madness-nets-mobile-sports-betting-win-for-north-carolina-gamblers\/\" title=\"North Carolina gamblers score big with mobile sports betting during March Madness\">legal mobile sports betting<\/a> was just shy of $19 million. It was about $11.9 million in March, bringing the total to $30.8 million.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Fox Sports broadcaster Greg Olsen, who placed the first ceremonial bet in North Carolina, shows his receipt during a DraftKings event celebrating the launch of mobile and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wagering-on-march-madness-likely-to-break-record-amid-sports-betting-wave\/\" title=\"Betting on March Madness set to shatter records amidst surge in sports wagering\">online sports wagering<\/a> across the state at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo\/Erik Verduzco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>North Carolina is on track to make more than $100 million in tax revenue for its first year and then go up from there, Elon University sport management professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/local\/charlotte\/2024\/03\/08\/mobile-sports-betting-north-carolina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Bill Squadron told\">Bill Squadron told<\/a> <em>Axios<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The massive tax windfall from these companies, some of it made off the backs of people like Jodi, have had states salivating for a cut.<\/p>\n<h2>Lobbyists<\/h2>\n<p>America\u2019s sports betting boom didn\u2019t happen overnight. <\/p>\n<p>The three major\u00a0players that have catapulted it to success are betting site operators, sports leagues, and lawmakers. Working in concert with them are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lobbyists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lobbyists<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The NBA and MLB joined forces to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalsportsreport.com\/19395\/sports-betting-lobby-funded-by-mlb-nba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"form a lobbying alliance\">form a lobbying alliance<\/a> to shape legislation that would be advantageous\u00a0to them and the states looking for a slice of the profits. The lobbyists then traveled from state to state to pitch their blueprint as a model for others to follow. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir lawyers are adept at testifying, but they rely on the relationship between local lobbyists and lawmakers to make more-personal inroads,\u201d according to Legalsportsreport.com, which tracks lobbyists\u2019 activity in different states. <\/p>\n<p>Gambling companies and their allies deployed an\u00a0ambitious lobbying campaign, showering state lawmakers with money, gifts, and visits from sports legends, designed to curry favor and obtain tax breaks, according to a 2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/11\/20\/business\/sports-betting-lobbying-kansas.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"New York Times\u00a0investigation\"><em>New York Times<\/em> investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In Connecticut, the MLB and NBA had unsuccessfully tried for years to get legislation legalizing sports betting on the books. The leagues eventually hired lobbyists from Orrick, Herrington &#038; Sutcliffe and Capitol Strategy Group in Hartford to represent their interest. In fact, the NBA and MLB retained Orrick in several states to push their legislation. In Connecticut, the leagues had four lawyers on the payroll, paying the two firms a total of $15,500 per month, according to Legalsportsreport.com. <\/p>\n<p>In New York, there were five firms on retainer to lobby for the NBA and MLB. Cordo &#038; Co made $10,000 a month; Patrick B. Jenkins &#038; Associates got paid $8,000 a month; The Parkside Group made $12,000; the Riddett Associates got $8,000; and Stanley Schlein, who worked only with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/MLB\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>MLB<\/a>, received $5,250 per month. <\/p>\n<h2>Human toll<\/h2>\n<p>Despite\u00a0warnings that these companies may be grooming a new generation of gamblers, targeting younger players, and feeding dangerous addictions that could turn into a public health crisis, the monetary gains seem\u00a0to outweigh the human cost at every turn.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple experts pointed out\u00a0that online sports betting can become more addictive than traditional gambling because betting on sports seems less risky. And unlike a casino, mobile apps allow players to bet money directly from their bank accounts. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne can easily, rapidly place many bets that may make it more feasible for vulnerable individuals to experience gambling problems,\u201d Marc Potenza, director of the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research at Yale University, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/mental-health\/gambling-addiction-hotline-calls-online-sports-betting-rcna145539\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told NBC News\">told NBC News<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Rachel Volberg, a gambling expert and researcher\u00a0at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> she has \u201cconcerns about groups in the population that are particularly vulnerable to experiencing gambling problems.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese groups include adolescents, young adults, women, immigrants, and people in recovery from a gambling problem,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n<p>After Florida <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abrams-in-georgia-policy-speech-goes-after-kemps-rural-base\/\" title=\"Abrams in Georgia Policy Speech Goes After Kemp\u2019s Rural Base\">legalized sports betting<\/a> in November, calls to its Council on Compulsive Gambling doubled. Pennsylvania\u2019s Council on Compulsive Gambling saw call volume more than double from 2020 to 2023. Calls to Ohio\u2019s Problem Gambling Network, meanwhile, increased 55% in 2023, the first year of legalized sports betting there.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe, nationwide, the rate and severity of gambling problems have increased across the United States since 2018,\u201d Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit organization devoted to minimizing the costs and harms of gambling addiction, said.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Donald Weinbaum, executive director of New Jersey\u2019s Council on Compulsive Gambling, stands near a mobile billboard in the parking lot of its Hamilton, N.J., offices Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. The billboard publicizes a hotline for problem gamblers. (AP Photo\/Wayne Parry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Whyte, whose group operates the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline, added, \u201cWe have every reason to believe the growth of online <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/sports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>sports<\/a> betting is a major contributing factor to the increase in gambling problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Volberg believes that states that have legalized sports betting \u201chave responsibility for ensuring that the harms associated with this type of gambling (as well as with other legalized forms of gambling) are minimized to the greatest extent possible.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But that rarely happens. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seems like everybody just saw <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>money<\/a> signs and said yes, this is what we want,\u201d Jodi said. \u201cThe sportsbooks, the states, the leagues, and then people like me, who came close to losing everything. Everybody jumped in but no one thought of the consequences. More people have gotten hooked on the high of winning. But when they lose, when I lost, I lost almost everything, including my own life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Repeated problem-gambling behavior has been linked with depression, anxiety, and suicide. That\u2019s on top of massive debt, job loss, fractured relationships, and legal issues. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a state of gambling withdrawal just like opiate withdrawal or alcohol withdrawal,\u201d Timothy Fong, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a\u00a0co-director\u00a0of its gambling-studies program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/health\/a44652587\/sports-betting-gambling-dangers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"told\">told<\/a> <em>Men\u2019s Health<\/em>. \u201cWhen you\u2019re not able to gamble or participate in gambling, your body and your brain react to it. It goes through sleeplessness, changes in appetite, sadness, depression, anxiety. However, with mobile sports betting, there\u2019s no such thing as that anymore, because you\u2019re never not in a casino. You\u2019re there unless you\u2019re completely cut off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The tax revenue some states bring in and the amount of money spent on helping addicts like Jodi are surprising. <\/p>\n<h2>States making big bucks <\/h2>\n<p>For example, in 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Arizona\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Arizona<\/a> made $28.9 million in tax revenue from sports betting and allocated only $2 million to help people with gambling problems. Colorado got $19.6 million in tax revenue and allocated $2.6 million to help people with addiction. Louisiana brought in $34 million that year and allocated $1.5 million. Michigan brought in $14.4 million and allocated $2.9 million. <\/p>\n<p>Not only are online sports betting sites hooking up with states, they have also partnered with sport leagues too. <\/p>\n<p>All of the major\u00a0sports leagues have \u201cofficial betting partners,\u201d which dominate television broadcasts and saturate the airwaves with commercials for sports-betting apps.\u00a0A recent study found viewers of the NHL and NBA games were exposed to an average of 2.8 gambling-related messages per minute during broadcasts. <\/p>\n<p>The NFL partners with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/NBA\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>NBA<\/a>, FanDuel; WNBA, FanDuel; MLB, FanDuel; NHL, ESPN Bet in the US and TheScore Bet in Canada; PGA, ESPN Bet; and\u00a0the LPGA, BetMGM. There are also official betting partners for players, teams, states, and events like The Kentucky Derby.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Kentucky Derby has broken its own handle record the past two consecutive years,\u201d Andrew Moore, general manager of racing at FanDuel, told the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courier-journal.com\/story\/sports\/horses\/kentucky-derby\/2024\/04\/25\/kentucky-derby-2024-betting-churchill-downs-sportsbooks\/73097649007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Courier Journal\">Courier Journal<\/a><\/em>  ahead of the May 4 race.\u00a0\u201cGiven the excitement around the 150th anniversary and the increased reach via online sportsbooks like FanDuel, we expect another record\u00a0year in handle,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n<p>Last week, DraftKings, the United States\u2019s largest sportsbook by market capitalization, joined Caesars Sportsbook and began offering odds on the <a href=\"https:\/\/swimswam.com\/draftkings-sports-book-gives-odds-on-two-races-for-us-olympic-swimming-trials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"U.S. Olympic swimming trials\">U.S. Olympic swimming trials<\/a>. Many more betting sites are expected to follow suit once the games officially kick off in Paris next month. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu shows his receipt after placing the first legal sports wagering bet on his mobile phone in Manchester, N.H., Dec. 30, 2019. (AP Photo\/Charles Krupa, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the NBA finals, players\u00a0were not only able to place wagers on the winning team, the margin of victory, and the number of combined points, they were also able to bet on every play imaginable.<\/p>\n<p>Online sports betting surged this year at the Super Bowl, too, according to GeoComply, a company that tracks the location of internet gamblers. The company said it processed more than 122 million checks in 28 of the 29 states that offered online sports betting at the time, excluding Florida. <\/p>\n<p>GeoComply makes sure gamblers are where they say they are before allowing their online bets to go through, a process known as geolocation, which is the foundation of online betting in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> found multiple websites that gave step-by-step instructions on how to circumvent GeoComply\u2019s monitors and make online wagers.<\/p>\n<h2>Sports betting and athletes <\/h2>\n<p>Sports and gambling were in the spotlight last year after the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter and close friend of star player Shohei Ohtani. Mizuhara\u2019s\u00a0dismissal came after he allegedly stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports gambling debts that he racked up with an illegal bookmaker.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/mlb-announces-sports-betting-violation-suspensions#:~:text=Major%20League%20Baseball%20placed%20Padres,for%20other%20gambling%2Drelated%20violations.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"MLB announced the suspension of five players\">MLB announced the suspension of five players<\/a>, including San Diego Padres player Tucupita Marcano, who was banned for life.<\/p>\n<p>In the NFL, at least 15 players have been suspended by the league for gambling violations, most recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/news\/falcons-wr-calvin-ridley-suspended-indefinitely-through-2022-season-for-betting-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"wide receiver Calvin Ridley\">wide receiver Calvin Ridley<\/a>. Ridley, then a member of the Atlanta Falcons, placed several bets during November 2021 when he was on the non-football illness list. <\/p>\n<h2>Responsible gaming?<\/h2>\n<p>While states have been slow to invest in education and ways to help problematic gamblers, the country\u2019s top sports betting companies have picked up the slack.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile most of our customers play for fun and entertainment, we leverage our advanced technology to attempt to detect potentially problematic behavior and try to engage with those customers who may need additional help and resources,\u201d Lori Kalani, DraftKings Chief Responsible Gaming Officer, told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Kalani said DraftKings provides customers with \u201caccess to education about what it means to play responsibly and provide them with tools to help them play within their means and to not spend more time or money than they can afford.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, eight of the top sports betting sites now go above and beyond to self-regulate and protect their own players. Gaming companies like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Penn Entertainment, bet365 and more have joined forced to create a trade group that promotes responsible gaming. <\/p>\n<p>Called the Responsible Online Gaming Association, it gives players new data-driven approaches and cutting edge support tools to prevent what happened to Jodi from reoccurring. The members have collectively pledged more than $20 million to fund ROGA. <\/p>\n<p>Jennifer Shatley, executive director of ROGA, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>that \u201cthe online space does provide more opportunities around responsible gaming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTraditionally in a bricks and mortar, we encourage limit setting for players to set the right time limits, monetary limits, frequency limits to manage their play and now on the online sites, the tools are actually there for them to do that on the site itself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER \">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Shatley added that responsible gaming is a \u201cshared responsibility\u201d that is \u201cvery collaborative.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s customers, it\u2019s the gaming industry, the providers,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s also governments, it\u2019s researchers, and academics working together as well to find out what are the effective best practices. It\u2019s clinicians, health organizations. It\u2019s best done collectively then we can amplify each other\u2019s messages and programs and really protect the well being of customers.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jodi D., once thriving, pawned her grandmother&#8217;s engagement ring within three months to support her online sports betting addiction. Apps like FanDuel and DraftKings fueled her habit. At 42, the graphic T-shirt designer&#8217;s life took a drastic turn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2284163,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/donald-weinbum-gambling.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[11110,32919,32918],"class_list":["post-2284162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-addiction","tag-legalized-gambling","tag-sports-betting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/donald-weinbum-gambling.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2284162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2284162\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2284163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2284162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2284162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2284162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}