In today’s fast-paced world, the temptation of “easy money” through sports betting is hard to ignore, but it’s a path littered with dangers that reach well past the stadium gates.
At Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, we champion sound financial practices and aim to protect hardworking Texans from policies that rob them of their financial stability. Looking closely at how legalized sports betting is shaking up pro sports since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling,1 it’s clear this trend is chipping away at personal finances, family peace, league honesty, and Texas values.
Harms to Individuals
Sports betting’s dark side hits bettors with crushing financial losses, spiraling addiction, and a toll on mental and physical well-being that can upend lives.2 Since the floodgates opened in 2018, we’ve seen a boom3 in betting from under $5 billion a year to a staggering $150 billion last year, but for many, it’s a losing game that drains bank accounts and racks up debt. Studies show the rate of gambling problems among sports bettors is at least twice as high as general gamblers, jumping even higher with online wagering. In states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, searches for gambling addiction help have skyrocketed by 67% and 50%, respectively, since legalization, with national queries up 23% to millions of searches annually.
Young men are the most at-risk group, facing spikes in anxiety, depression, and substance abuse as apps make betting too easy and addictive. Take “hazardous gambling“—it’s not full addiction yet, but it brings obsession, mood swings, and intrusive thoughts that mess with daily life, school, and relationships. One college kid, Danny, described checking odds obsessively from morning till night, feeling euphoric on wins but like a failure on losses, all while his grades and friendships suffered—even without huge financial hits yet. In-play or microbetting amps up the risks, leading to higher problem severity and harms in finances, emotions, and health.
Ultimately, this compulsive cycle damages credit,4 strains ties with loved ones, and erodes overall health, mirroring the reckless spending we rail against in government. Online platforms make it worse, fueling a surge in addiction help needs, breaking previous records—proving why we need policies that curb this before more Texans fall into the trap of fiscal ruin.
Harms to Players and Other League Personnel
Sports betting’s growth is also taking a real toll on the people in the leagues—players, coaches, referees, and event staff—through endless badgering, ethics slips, and threats to their safety. In the MLB, 78 percent of surveyed5 athletes report fans turning hostile, hurling death threats at them and their loved ones. Pitchers like Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are facing indictments for tweaking pitches to game the bets, infielder Tucupita Marcano received a lifetime ban6 for betting on games, and four other pros suspended for a year.
And it’s not just players; Texas Rangers president Chris Young is pushing for rules to protect employees from these pressures and dangers, noting we need “rules and regulations that protect our players, our umpires, our coaches and front office.” Red Sox’s Craig Breslow called it out, saying these threats and inducements “soil” the sport’s core.
NBA players aren’t spared, with athletes like Jalen Brunson calling out “pretty messed up sh–… The worst things you’re thinking of, it’s worse than that.” Polls show players getting bombarded with up to 10 threats per game, all linked to blown parlays. Nearly half the players see league partnerships with gambling companies as a bad move, and their union wants stricter prop bet rules to cut the abuse, stating: “NBA players compete at the utmost integrity and are concerned that prop bets have become an increasingly alarming source of player harassment… If tighter regulations can help minimize that abuse, we support taking a closer look.”
Harms to the Leagues
The leagues themselves are not immune; betting’s boom is punching holes in their integrity, messing with the fair play and trust that keep them going. Rule-breaking scandals have led to big crackdowns: The NFL benched 10 players in 2023 for gambling slips and banned bets on injuries, refs, or scripted plays. NBA figures like coach Chauncey Billups, guard Terry Rozier, and former player Damon Jones were caught up in federal stings7 over insider tips and underground operations.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred backs betting deals,8 but union heads like Tony Clark and agents like Scott Boras want prop bets gone9 to save the game’s soul. Close to half of NBA players think these ties are trouble, pointing to conflicts, with one asking, “How can the league constantly promote gambling, then not expect players to engage?” As another said, “I feel like it’s kind of antagonizing players to think about it, and also, I think it’s a conflict of interest for the NBA, too.”10 These issues sap faith in the system, draw watchdogs, and pull focus from the game, risking the leagues’ bottom line.
Austin, We Have a Problem
Sports betting’s downsides run deep and wide. We must rethink its place in Texas. TFR will continue pushing for policies that guard individuals, families, and our communities from fiscal harm… no matter what form.
- https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/23501236/supreme-court-strikes-federal-law-prohibiting-sports-gambling
- https://today.ucsd.edu/story/study-reveals-surge-in-gambling-addiction-following-legalization-of-sports-betting
- https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/11/sports-betting-apps-public-health-crisis/
- https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/dont-bet-on-it
- https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6807760/2025/11/14/sports-betting-players-nfl-nba-mlb-nhl/
- https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40275531/tucupita-marcano-gets-life-mlb-ban-betting-baseball
- https://texastaxpayers.com/fbi-gambling-bust-exposes-hazards-of-legalized-betting/
- https://frontofficesports.com/manfred-defends-mlb-prop-bet-rules-as-congress-turns-up-heat/
- https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/46945920/scott-boras-wants-all-prop-bets-ended-cites-player-integrity
- https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/11/19/nba-players-compete-at-the-highest-level-with-the/87352651007/
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