Super Bowl LVII is expected to set a betting record

 

Super Bowl LVII is expected to set a betting record

Transcript¹

The annual Super Bowl is the world's biggest one-day sporting event. On Sunday, more than 100 million Americans are expected to watch this year's NFL championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on TV.

For an increasing number of sports fans, simply watching the game is no longer enough. They raise the stakes by placing bets on the game. But the rapid growth of sports betting in the U.S. contributes to an increased risk of addiction², and experts call on sports leagues and other stakeholders to do more to protect the vulnerable.

Sports betting ads are everywhere. Some worry gamblers will pay a steep priceBUSINESS

Sports betting ads are everywhere. Some worry gamblers will pay a steep priceThe American Gaming Association estimates that a record of 50.4 million American adults will bet on Sunday's game, with bettors planning to wager³ an estimated $16 billion. That's more than double the estimate of $7 billion last year.

"We've seen remarkable⁴ growth in the sports betting market since the Supreme⁵ Court invalidated the federal prohibition⁶ on sports betting in 2018," says Casey Clark, senior vice⁷ president at AGA.

At least 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting since 2018.

"We believe the expansion of legalized sports gambling⁸ in the U.S. will likely increase gambling participation⁹ and problems," Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, said before a House panel following the Supreme Court decision.

Whyte said last year that the council estimated that the risk of gambling addiction has increased by 30% from 2018 to 2021, with young men between 18 and 24 at risk.

And this potential risk could increase as more states are looking to legalize sports gambling.

"Sports betting is expanding rapidly, and I believe this is just the beginning," says Phil Sherwood, president of the NCPG's board of directors.

"The ability to place bets on your mobile device, having a casino in your pocket. That accessibility will really drive usage," he says.

Saul Malek is a 25-year-old student from Houston. He started betting on games in 2017 when he was just 19. Malek says he quickly realized that his gambling behavior was becoming problematic, but it took him more than two years to finally quit.

"I would bet every opportunity I had and run up a debt that I couldn't imagine possibly paying up. And I actually am still paying all these debts off," he says.

Malek, who attends Southern Methodist University in Dallas, says his gambling addiction has changed his relationship to sports. While still trying to follow his hometown Houston sports team, he says the flood of sports betting commercials makes it much more difficult to watch games.

"I'm not planning to watch the Super Bowl just because I can already imagine how much money is going to be spent on advertising¹⁰ there. So I don't really watch a whole lot of sports," he says.

The 2018 Supreme Court decision did not only broaden access to sports gambling, but also led to a change in attitudes among sports leagues and networks.

The NFL and other leagues saw sports betting just a few years ago as a potential threat to the integrity of the game. In 2012, they fought against the legalization of sports gambling in New Jersey¹¹.

Fast forward to today, all major sports leagues in the U.S. have one or more betting partners who pay hundreds of millions of dollars to be associated with the leagues.

In 2021, the NFL signed deals with Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel to be its first U.S. sports betting partners. While the NFL does not officially disclose the value and length of these deals, media reports citing sources familiar with these deals estimate the value at just shy of $1 billion over five years.

And the NFL will not only benefit from these deals itself, but also from increased TV advertising revenue, Sherwood said.

"They've realized through sports betting becoming legal in a few states and fantasy football that there are more eyeballs watching the games every Sunday, and that's driving up their advertising revenue. They really see this as an opportunity, regardless of which game you bet on," he says.

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Not only sports leagues and media networks profit from legalized sports gambling, the industry has generated more than $2.45 billion in federal, state, and local taxes since 2018, according to data compiled by the ACA.

Experts believe that more of that money should go to public health.

"The failure of federal regulators to really enact¹² federal protections around public health, to fund research around gambling and make sure that there are natural resources there or nationally, that's a huge problem," Sherwood says.

The NCPG estimates that about 2 million U.S. adults meet the criteria¹³ for serious gambling problems, while another 4 to 6 million are considered to have mild or moderate gambling problems.

"There's a certain compulsion that comes with the act of placing a bet and the whole thing that comes with the addiction that I don't think is adequately dealt with," Malek says.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

3 wager   

n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌

参考例句：

• They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
• I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

11 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

12 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

13 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。