When the call of a sport’s biggest superstar appears in a betting scandal, it’s obvious news. So yes, the question of whether Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani legalized $4. 5 million in bills to an illegal sportsbook deserves all the headlines he’s gathered. , I find it hard to be as disappointed by the “integrity of the game” argument as others who emphasize its importance.
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This topic of discussion lost credibility in my eyes the moment sports leagues and team owners got involved with legalized gambling. Did they really think they could just open the door of the chicken coop without waiting for the fox to eat?They knew that such cases were not only imaginable but also probable. Still, their search for the next dollar has led them to turn what in the past were clear, falsified lines into a series of gray dashes. They have expanded the scope of wrongdoing because their worship of the almighty dollar is greater than their honest preference for protecting the integrity of the game.
Ohtani is rarely the only user to find himself caught in the game’s web of suspicion in recent weeks. Earlier this month, an investigation involving Temple’s men’s basketball team was opened after a gambling watchdog organization cited the program for “suspicious betting activity” such as a 100-72 loss to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. And ESPN reported earlier this week that Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who missed the last 3 games for what the team describes as “usage reasons,” was under investigation “after multiple times of betting irregularities over the past few months. “
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What is Shohei Ohtani’s legal exposure as the former artist is investigated for gambling?
Sports leagues and homeowners still have no one to blame. They will tell you that their adoption of legalized gambling is a reaction to the U. S. Supreme Court’s overturning. UU. de the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, creating a transparent path for U. S. states to protect their rights. U. S. and territories to participate in legalized sports betting outside of Nevada. But his message loses credibility when juxtaposed with his resolve to get married and benefit from relationships with casinos and gambling sites.
They can institute as many policies and protections as they need (and they do so through prominent posters in locker rooms and mandatory conversations with players), but some find it hard to take them seriously when, at the same time, homeowners and leagues are weaving into those entities. There’s a “Do as I say, not as I do” facet that further opens the door to potential misconduct by players and those around them.
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If the integrity of the game were paramount, gambling and any agreement with it would be prohibited. But it wouldn’t be a solution that would allow players to bet on any game other than their own. Don’t you like that? Find some other working domain. But instead of building virtual barriers to protect the game, gaming leagues continue to open their doors and arms.
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For example, last year, NFL homeowners voted to allow land-based sportsbooks to operate in their stadiums. If that’s not a combined message, I’m not sure what is. Similarly, the NBA announced plans this month to offer live props on NBA League Pass streams. He is expected to be accompanied by “For the Love of Money” via The O’Jays as the title track.
But there’s a layer to this challenge that goes beyond point spreads and incidental bets. This implies the effect that the legalization of gambling has on our relationships with each other and what it could mean for society as a whole.
Recently, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said he’s uncomfortable with the proliferation of sports betting discussions on his social media accounts, telling The Athletic’s James Boyd, “In part of the world, I’m just helping them make money with DraftKings or whatever. “Two days later, Axios reported that Cleveland Cavaliers coach J. B. Bickerstaff had received threatening text messages after disgruntled punters received his phone number.
“In part of the world, I just help them make money with DraftKings or whatever. I’m an accomplice. “pic. twitter. com/6f2a0vEuiK
– James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) March 20, 2024
NFL players have complained for years that fantasy football participants view them as commodities, noting how quickly those Americans berate them on social media for poor performance, while consistently seeming less fearful about their physical and intellectual fitness than their availability for games. If that’s how other people act when their only monetary investment is an early entry, believe in the anger and intensity that builds up when someone loses week after week, or even minute by minute with game props.
Without being over-the-top, can we honestly rule out the worst-case scenario, in which someone would seek revenge on a player or coach after wasting money they didn’t have to bet on?Is it so unlikely that in today’s society, where divisions run deep between some people and some seeking to normalize excessive behavior, can the unthinkable become reality?
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You don’t have to spend days on social media to realize that there is an intensified sense of anger across the country. Minor problems sometimes provoke the greatest outrage. This volatility has been common among players, but it tends to stay in the background. But that has been replaced by the confluence of legal gambling and social media. Feelings and attitudes are visual on your face. They are more intense. It turns out to be a question of when, not if, something bad is going to happen.
The impact of sports betting on society is of great concern to Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N. Y. ), who this month announced plans to introduce legislation that would severely limit how sports betting companies can market and interact with customers. He recently described the existing landscape as “a largely unregulated Wild West environment” and said it has been that way since the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2018.
“We’re facing a large, developing public health crisis involving a known and addictive product,” said Tonko, who was joined by members of Northeastern University’s Public Health Advocacy Institute. “Just like in the tobacco industry, when we made the decision that this industry posed a public health issue, we have now replaced Joe Camel with prominent spokespeople. “
And yet, it turns out there’s no going back because of the cash involved. The cash injection from legal betting has an expected revenue stream not only for leagues and media corporations, adds The Athletic, which in 2021 made BetMGM its signature sport. gambling spouse, but also for cities and states. Middlesboro, Kentucky. News reported in October 2022 that more than $70 billion in tax revenue from legal gambling had gone to state and local governments, and that the industry employed more than a million people.
It’s fair to say that sports leagues, teams, and homeowners aren’t to blame for an individual’s behavior, but it’s also moderate to point out the potential accidental consequences of trying to squeeze every penny out of each. every stream of earnings. Hopefully, this won’t lead to the worst-case scenario, but no one will be surprised that it does.
(Photo of a mural depicting Shohei Ohtani, made by artist Robert Vargas at the Miyako Hotel in Los Angeles: Mario Tama/Getty Images)