By ErickSanders March 7, 2024 - 12:53pm

Readers discuss a series of investigative articles on the impact of the popularity of legalized sports betting.

An ad promoting a betting app at the Michigan State University football game against Ohio State University on October 8 in East Lansing, Michigan.As fans cheered on their respective teams, the advertisement encouraged them to visit the click through the next website page for more information on how to get started with the betting app and potentially place bets on the game or other sporting events.

Re "Universities Help Sportsbooks Sign Up Young and Vulnerable" (front page "Risky Betting" series, November 23):

 

This article raises the question of whether encouraging gambling on campus is "in keeping with the mission of higher education." Is this really a question? Of course it is not in keeping with the mission of higher education, but apparently it is in keeping with the mission of a university that welcomes gambling.

 

Student athletes may turn into student gambling addicts, but that is just the cost of doing business." Instead of "one win for the gipper," we have "one loss for the bookie.

 

John T. Dillon

West Caldwell, NJ

The emergence of sports gambling at colleges and universities is a troubling development in the race for revenue that increasingly supports campus amenities and entertainment. According to a report by the Social Science Research Council, college students spend far more leisure time than the average 27 hours per week they spend in onlinecasinotopp.com. And now, in pursuit of revenue, deals with gambling companies are often secretly orchestrated.

 

The chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder makes the pathetic excuse that some of this money will be used for students' mental health, but the evil of allowing students to indulge their gambling addiction is clear. College students need adult leadership to mature in their careers and as good citizens. That will be hard to find if college administrators are taking money from the gambling industry.

 

Michael B. Poliakoff

Washington.

The writer is a U.S. trustee and president of the Alumni Association.

 

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To the Editor.

 

I am a gambler and have not gambled in over 52 years, recovering and working with a fellow 12-step program that rescued me from the abyss in 1970.

 

Your article on gambling shows how the industry has infiltrated universities and colleges to benefit themselves while enriching the state with taxpayer money. Online sports betting will be devastating to many young gamblers who are new to the excitement of legal wagering and gamblers who are betting bigger and bigger to recoup previous losses.

 

The gambling industry and universities must fund proper educational programs and treatment for those who have become addicted to gambling and want to quit.

 

Bill Brosnan

delray beach, florida

Regarding "Cigars, Booze, and Sports Betting" (Nov. 20 front page "Dangerous Betting" series):

 

Since the federal ban on sports betting ended in 2018, millions of Americans have left illegal and unregulated markets to place wagers with legal and licensed operators. Your one-sided "survey" on the legalization of sports betting omits the enormous benefits generated from this major shift in consumer behavior.

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Legal sports betting has generated $2.45 billion in federal and state taxes since 2018 - new money for schools, public safety, and problem gambling programs. Today, thousands of state gambling regulators have robust consumer protections in place and federal regulators oversee strict financial requirements. Businesses invest billions of dollars annually to meet regulatory requirements and support responsible gambling.

 

None of this exists in the illegal marketplace. In fact, illegal sports betting funds violent crime and exploits minors and vulnerable populations.

 

We are proud of our industry's efforts to establish legal and regulated sports betting. It is beneficial to our industry and provides clear benefits to consumers and communities.

 

Bill Miller

Washington.

The writer is president and C.E.O. of the American Gaming Association.

Sports betting is more popular than ever, according to the latest poll on sports betting. One-sixth of American adults and one-third of men under 55 bet on sports today, with 71 percent betting on sports at least once a week and 11 percent at least several times a day.

 

At the same time, however, there are concerns. Six in 10 adults agree that licensed online sports betting should be legalized everywhere in the U.S., but nearly the same percentage say sports betting should not be widely marketed on television or the Internet or endorsed by celebrities. Listen up, election officials!

 

Will Johnson

Chicago.

The writer is C.E.O. of the Harris Poll.

I am a tennis fan and follow many of my favorite players on social media. Several female tennis players have been very open about the flood of hateful messages they receive after a match. Many of them contain death threats, racist attacks, and misogynistic language, some of which are sent by bettors who placed bets on the match. Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, and teenage phenom Coco Gauff are among the few who have shared the abusive messages they regularly receive.

 

Knowing this, the channel that airs most of their matches in the US (Tennis Channel) has partnered with betting outfit sponsors like DraftKings. Players are interviewed post-match at DraftKings-branded desks, and betting promotions are aired during program breaks.

 

I would like to know how Tennis Channel executives feel about their role in fueling the hate directed at their sport's champions. And I would like to hear from tennis and other sports players about how the rise of betting has affected their mental health and sometimes their performance.

 

Rachel Bucci

Salem, Oregon

This musical is limited to a small group of "deadbeats" led by that lovable bum, Nathan Detroit, who is drowning in the sin of gambling.

 

The gamblers desperately ask, "Where's the action? Instead of simply reaching for their cell phones, they ask, "Where's the game?

 

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