UNLV asks “The Big Questions” on sports betting

The University has released a report on the effects of sports betting in America.

US.- The University of Nevada Las Vegas has released a report into the effects of both legal and illegal sports wagering in America.

The report was sponsored by the GVC Foundation US, a non-profit organisation which works to promote responsible gambling and integrity within sporting events.

Since 2018, the US had begun to legalise sports betting on a state-by-state basis, with around half of states taking steps in legalise sports wagering in their territories.

The report poses the questions of whether sports wagering compromises the integrity of sports contests, concluding that effective regulation is possible through a multi-stakeholder coalition approach.

Acknowledging the possible negative impacts of gambling on young people, the report argues that identity verification is essential, and that this should become easier with the advance of technology.

The report also considers the impacts of gambling in an illegal marketplace in states that have not yet legalised sports wagering, and concludes that the impact in unlicensed markets is far graver, suggesting benefits for widespread legalisation to introduce regulation.

On the perceptions of Americans, the report found that feelings on gambling in gerneral were more positive than a generation ago. Today over 86 per cent of the population find gambling to be an acceptable form of entertainment, it said.

An increased acceptance of gambling is reflected in consumer patterns, it concluded, with 2019 stats showing that 105 million Americans said they have entered a casino. That compares to 53 million in 2001, suggesting an increasing social acceptance of gambling.

As the sports gambling horizon changes across America, the research team anticipates the need for further studies over the years.