Will gambling ruin the NFL and sports in general?

[HOUSE]

8 minutes ago, Gregg said:

Gambling has been around forever. Why would it ruin the NFL now. I have been in my company's office pool for a long time now. We also do a Super Bowl pool every year. It's fun and it makes the games you don't really care who wins more interesting if you have money on it.

Not sure you can call the company office pool gambling. Technically yes, a problem no..

[Gregg]

6 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Not sure you can call the company office pool gambling. Technically yes, a problem no..

 

True. It's not we are gambling thousands of dollars here. We have about 30 people. Its $85 to enter for the year. If you win one week you win $100. Nothing crazy but makes the season more fun. One year I won both the halftime and final score of the Super Bowl pool. Won $550 that day. That was a fun day to come to work

Edited 6 hours ago by Gregg

[Don Otreply]

Yes, it’s just a matter of time before some players start to throw games in various ways, 

[Process]

If sportsbooks want to run ads fine, I just hate how much gambling has become a part of broadcasts. I don't care to hear what parlay Terry Bradshaw has cooked up in the pregame show, or for the announcers to give me the updated live odds throughout the game.

[Spiderweb]

4 hours ago, longtimebillsfan said:

I live in Las Vegas.  Believe me,betting is monitored and controlled.  Betting trends are carefully watched and any large or unusual bets are flagged and investigated.

 

With the money the betting industry generates, many eyes are on every aspect.  It is nieve to think betting is beyond control.

It is even more nieve to think individuals have the same level of analysis that the "Industry" has. 

Edited 6 hours ago by Spiderweb

[vanhalen26]

I counted the gambling ads within the broadcast (so excluding commercials) of an nhl playoff game.  So this would be board advertising, promos, etc - and there were 6 or 7 different companies.  It’s really ridiculous.  
 

I do believe the ads glamorize gambling and are fueling addiction.  

[Chandler#81]

Wrong on both counts. CTE will eventually be fixed by new, silly looking head gear that allows the head to move inside it and gambling is human nature. Do I give a crap that you lost your life savings betting on the Browns to win the Super Bowl?
HELL NO!

[SoCal Deek]

4 hours ago, Figster said:

 Nieve to think betting is beyond corruption IMO.

What are the odds that nieve is incorrectly spelled? 

[WNYFAN1]

8 hours ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

I think the eventual downfall of the NFL will be either CTE or gambling. The ads are plastered literally everywhere and impossible to escape. And they make it so much easier than in the past because now you can wager your entire life savings in a matter of minutes within the comfort of your home. Before it was a process so you had time to think about what you were doing.
 

It’s a huge exploitation of the fan base IMO. One of the most (if not THE most) dangerous addictions you can have, I’ve actually known a couple people who ended their lives due to losing insane amounts of money. The fact that the NFL is so heavily in bed with alcohol & gambling companies sickens me. It’s a slap in the face to the hardworking fans who line their pockets. 

So I stand by my opinion. Gambling and by default GREED is going to ruin this once great sport. What’s sad is it’s going on in all levels so it’s not like I can switch to college football. I know shady stuff has been happening in pro sports since the 1919 World Series, but I believe the problem is much more rampant. What’s to stop a referee from throwing a couple flags to affect the point spread? There are BILLIONS at stake for these companies. It makes collusion even more likely between them and the NFL. 

 

 

As a father of teenage boys who love the NFL, gambling is one of the number one things I worry about. It's WAY too easy now.

 

I've tried to educate them on the risks. I've also tried to make sure that sure, root for your team and get invested. But ALWAYS remember, this is a game being played by millionaires for billionaires, and the number one goal this league has is to make money.

 

[shane nelson]

Owners of sports teams should not own any business related to gambling.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 hour ago, Process said:

If sportsbooks want to run ads fine, I just hate how much gambling has become a part of broadcasts. I don't care to hear what parlay Terry Bradshaw has cooked up in the pregame show, or for the announcers to give me the updated live odds throughout the game.

 

I wonder if playing the opposite of Terry Bradshaw would be a winning strategy though. 

[PonyBoy]

I bet it won't 😏

[TheWei44]

2 hours ago, Billy Claude said:

It won't ruin the NFL or sports but it will ruin many people and their families.  There should be some control:

 

1.  Ban advertising for gambling the same way it is banned for cigarettes.  This has the added advantage of not having to see Kevin Hart every 10 minutes.

 

2. Ban the use of credit cards for gambling.  This is already true in the UK and many states.

 

3. Ban gambling in any event that already started.  This means when an addict loses a prop bet they at least have to switch to another game to get their fix.

 

This is a good start - Maybe also ban the mining of personal data that optimizes the amount a person gambles and also marketing tactics designed toward putting people on the path toward addiction?  I was playing live poker at a casino recently and the person to my immediate right was on his phone the whole time sports betting - He wasn't even remotely engaged in the poker game at hand.  It's the 24/7 remote/internet access to sports betting that's really scary.  I used to play poker online but eventually stopped because it was so depressing and boring.

Edited 4 hours ago by TheWei44

[PromoTheRobot]

I think a major gambling scandal is inevitable.

[Gisele]

Yes

[frostbitmic]

I'm glad I know that when I gamble I lose so I do it rarely, maybe a billion dollar Powerball ticket or something but that's the extent with me. I've never used the online gambling sites and I know I'd just give them my money, so I don't.

 

One person here said gambling and greed will ruin the NFL, I'm not sure about the gambling part but greed generally kills everything.

[GunnerBill]

3 hours ago, Billy Claude said:

It won't ruin the NFL or sports but it will ruin many people and their families.  There should be some control:

 

1.  Ban advertising for gambling the same way it is banned for cigarettes.  This has the added advantage of not having to see Kevin Hart every 10 minutes.

 

2. Ban the use of credit cards for gambling.  This is already true in the UK and many states.

 

3. Ban gambling in any event that already started.  This means when an addict loses a prop bet they at least have to switch to another game to get their fix.

 

 

Agree with 1 and 2 for sure, and the UK experience supports both. We have moved towards advertising restrictions and affordability checks, bans on credit cards and other credit functions. 

 

On 3 - not sure that bet "in-play" has actually been proven more dangerous / risky, but if there is evidence to that end interested to see it. 

[Chandler#81]

1 hour ago, WNYFAN1 said:

As a father of teenage boys who love the NFL, gambling is one of the number one things I worry about. It's WAY too easy now.

 

I've tried to educate them on the risks. I've also tried to make sure that sure, root for your team and get invested. But ALWAYS remember, this is a game being played by millionaires for billionaires, and the number one goal this league has is to make money.

 

‘one of the number one things’? How many number one things do you have?

[Breakout Squad]

19 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

‘one of the number one things’? How many number one things do you have?

Right? I would be more worried about car accidents and other stupid things that kill people.

[Rubes]

Legalized gambling won't ruin the NFL, it will just ruin a lot more people's lives. The NFL will be fine.