What makes so many young men throw away their paychecks and savings in an industry in which only 3% of people walk away with a profit? Somehow, in less than a decade, Americans have seen almost half of a trillion dollars disappear from their wallets and into the hands of these companies. But how did we get here so quickly?

Let’s consider that this is not the first time an addictive model built on slowly ruining the lives of its young consumer base has baked itself into American social culture. Look at the success of vape and e-cigarette companies that knowingly targeted minors. These corporations understand that hooking in a young market creates customers for life.

To get to the point they’re at right now, these multi-billion dollar companies have leveraged trends, pop culture, and media. A-list celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Jamie Foxx, and Chris Rock have taken part in elaborate television and social media endorsements to promote America’s ultra-wealthy sportsbooks. These celebrities gleefully detail exploitative promotional offers designed to hook in millions of new customers and financially cripple a predominately underage market. 

Momentum has only picked up year after year since New Jersey challenged the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) and changed the course of sports forever. When the act was successfully repealed in 2018, allowing states to individually legalize sports betting, businesses quickly obtained a clearer understanding of sports gambling’s profitability. By the end of 2025, 39 states will permit operations within their borders, and 31 states will allow residents to gamble their savings online from the comfort of their homes.

The tidal wave of sports betting only grows with time, completely washing over everything in its way. Even in our own OT hallways, you can overhear students crafting outlandish parlays and reflecting on last night’s failed prop bets. With media fueling the hype and taking advantage of people’s addictions, athletes thoughtlessly ending their careers, and online access making it easier than ever, the industry’s grip tightens by the day. 

This is just the beginning of a deeper look into how sports gambling’s unbounded rise is reshaping the landscape of sports. In the next few weeks, The Lance will dig in deeper, analyzing the effect that the industry has had on American culture.