Sports betting has and is continuing to take over the sports world. Apps like Fanduel, ESPN and DraftKings have gained immense popularity over the past few years, and there is no sign of slowing down.
Online sports betting became legal in North Carolina March 11, 2024. That same year, legal sportsbooks accepted about $150 billion in bets and made about $13.71 billion in gross revenue.
The adrenaline rush of placing a bet can feel like a drug, which is what keeps users fiending for their next big win. This constant thrill drives them to keep betting even if they lose.
With the $150 billion wagered and $13.71 billion in revenue, it’s clear how powerful and profitable this addiction can be.
However, the addiction has spread farther than the viewers at home. Players and coaches have hopped onto the trend themselves.
The NBA has found itself at the center of a crisis, with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncy Billups being arrested along with 30 others over two different suspicions.
One involves inside betting on NBA games and another is tied to rigging mafia associated poker networks to deceive gamblers out of millions. Rozier is more associated with the inside betting, whereas Billups is tied with the mafia scandal.
Most betting apps operate under an “over or under” system. For example, if Fanduel had a line that said Stephen Curry for over or under 20.5 points, bettors would put money on if Curry would go over or under that number.
Rozier would purposely bet the under on himself and tell others to do the same, and underperform on purpose to receive a high payout for himself and many others.
Prior to the situation, the NBA sent out a memo to all 30 teams that read, “With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is expected to make a statement on the matter before or on Nov. 10.
This offense is a wake-up call for the league and is influencing them to be stricter on their policies. Moving forward, the league will look very different as more information comes out about the situation.
