The history of sports betting dates all the way back to 1931 in Nevada. Sports betting was first legalized in Nevada. This opened a world of opportunities for gamblers. They could now put money on their favorite sports teams and players. Hundreds of people rushed to the casinos to place their bets and many people lost tons of money. The casino was winning over the betters day by day. Now, betting can be done with any cellular device or in person. They have made it too easy to waste your money.
The recent promotion of sports betting on college campuses has led to the unwanted spread of gambling and corruption of America’s future. Gambling in a casino or on the side of the street is a practice that is not needed. Gambling to a gambler is like a drug to a drug user. It is an addiction and needs to be stopped.

Sports betting is one of the main types of gambling. Nowadays it can be done simply through apps like Draft Kings and Caesars Sportsbook. Many experts believe that the promotion of gambling on college campuses is unethical because they are promoting something that can end up as an addiction to young people. They could get hooked on gambling the second they see an ad. This can cause young adults a great deal of financial hardship in the future. They could spend the last of their paychecks on a bet leaving them with no money to use for food or other necessities.

Another reason the promotion of sports betting on college campuses is unethical is because some students on campus are not of age to bet. In every state but four, you can start sports betting at the age of 21. In the four other states you can start at 18. These states include Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington. Introducing younger students to these practices could entice them to begin betting on sports illegally at a younger age.

Colleges have decided to start selling out by signing deals with big sports betting companies. The contracts in these deals include universities promoting sports betting to all of their students. Recently Michigan State University signed a record breaking deal with Caesars Sportsbook. The deal that was once pronounced to be 1 million dollars a year has now gone up to a whopping 8.4 million dollars over the course of five years. 

Colleges are huge opportunities for gambling companies. Director of a problem-gambling center affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Mary Drexler, stated, “About 75 percent of college students say they’ve gambled in some way, including playing the lottery, in the last year.” This statistic alone shows the sheer amount of students that indulge in gambling. Starting as a small habit, gambling can turn into an addiction very quickly. It is described as a drug in most terms and needs to be taken seriously. The average American spends around 2,400 dollars a year on gambling. This money could be used to do other things. 

The chance of winning any sports bet is never 100 percent. This is the gambler’s motivation. It gives them a so-called “thrill” and a rush of adrenaline. This also means that they will lose some money. This loss of money could potentially cause students to become sleep deprived, fall into financial hardship, fail classes, and miss classes. This is over one simple bet. 

Numerous studies have been done, like at Mayo Clinic,  to show the consequences of gambling your money. Some symptoms are depression, financial hardship, anxiety, and lack of confidence. Losing money in a bet could bring down your spirit and ruin your entire day. This could cause many other things to happen. 

All in all, the promotion of sports betting on college campuses causes many bad things to happen. As a student may win and cash out every once and a while, many times they will lose all their money and fall to the sadness that comes with it. Sports betting is never a sustainable form of money. You should not rely on sports betting as a way to make an extra penny or a couple extra bucks. You will almost always lose to the odds.