Student Outlooks on Sports Betting

In the last few years, it feels like sports betting has taken over every part of watching

sports. Odds are on TV, sports shows talk about point spreads, and betting apps are

constantly advertised during games.

Ever since the Supreme Court made sports betting legal in 2018, it’s exploded across

the country. At first, it seemed like just another way for fans to have fun and feel more

involved.

“I don’t understand why people feel like sports betting is ok. I know it adds something

new for fans to be more excited about, but still, some people lose hundreds, if not

thousands, of dollars,” OWU student Jack Novak said.

Sports betting has become so normal that it’s hard to remember when it wasn’t

everywhere. The NFL, NBA, and even the NCAA have deals with major betting

companies. There are apps that let people bet live during games, sometimes on tiny

details like who will score next or who will get the next rebound.

Fans talk more about covering the spread than who actually wins. It’s starting to feel like

the focus has shifted from the sport itself to the money attached to it.

A darker side exists that people don’t like to talk about. Gambling addiction is becoming

a huge problem, especially for college students and young adults who use these apps.

“I recently started using an app called Underdog, and I honestly can say it’s easy to get

caught in a cycle of knowing you can win more if you go all in. Steadily using more and

more money out of my checking account has definitely affected me, but I’m still in,” said

an anonymous OWU source.

It’s so easy to start small and end up betting too much. Even some athletes have been

caught in betting scandals, which raises big questions about the integrity of games. This

raises the question: are some athletes doing bad on purpose for their own bets?

Some people argue that betting actually helps sports grow because it keeps fans

engaged.

“I personally feel like betting on sports is a good way to make some quick

money. You just have to know what you’re betting on,” said Ali Badger.

When every commercial, podcast, and highlight show is pushing betting odds, it stops

being entertainment and starts being a business scheme.

“I started gambling because I watched my pops do it pretty much my whole life. He

would wake up every Saturday morning trying to figure out what the spread would be for the football games that week. I also would see the ads for it all over TV, so I knew I had to try it,” said an anonymous source.

Leagues are making billions off fans’ bets while pretending it’s all just for fun.

Meanwhile, people are losing money, and the meaning of the game is getting lost in the

noise.