Experts Point Out Dangers of NY Online Sports Betting

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New York is set to become the newest state to legalize online and mobile sports betting. The development is, of course, highly anticipated particularly because of the popularity of sports betting offerings across the United States. Both the state and the gamblers are looking forward to plenty of perks from the industry, but, as turns out, there is a catch. According to some health experts from New Jersey, the launch of mobile sports betting in the Empire State might set off an avalanche of problem gambling cases.

The experts in question are basing their warnings on New Jersey’s own struggles with gambling addiction control. To put this into perspective, the Garden State has seen a significant increase in the number of people calling the gambling hotline and reporting gambling-related problems. This has all happened in a rather short duration, that is, since the country’s Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in May 2018. As it stands, online wagering accounts for over 80 percent of the sports bets placed in New Jersey.

While the growth of the sports betting sector in new Jersey has certainly had a lot of positive impacts, the increase in cases of gambling addiction has begun to raise some eyebrows. Online betting essentially puts casinos in the pockets of the consumers and this perhaps the reason why it is becoming increasingly hard for victims to control their gaming habits.

Dealing with these cases has also become quite costly. New Jersey already spends up to $650,000 annually to create awareness about responsible gambling behavior. Now, more has to be spent in order to assist the victims who continue to grow in number.

What Now?

Despite the concerns that have been raised regarding the potential negative impacts of mobile sports betting in New York, there is still an overwhelming amount of support for the sector. The proponents of online sports betting have argued that retail sports betting is not quite as popular as online betting. This means that they would not be able to bring in the optimum amount of revenue. While this argument certainly makes sense given the strong appetite for sports betting and the fact that it is already happening albeit in the black market.

That said, the Empire State will have to look into strong and effective measures to promote responsible gambling and tackle problem gambling if it intends to proceed. More funding and partnerships with relevant bodies are perhaps the best ways to start.

Darcy isn’t your typical bookworm. She loves to read, but there’s adventure in her life, too. As she would put it – words and play, makes for much to say. Our Darcy is a poet and a gaming journalist. She has a tight grasp of on the latest regulatory developments not only in her home in Italy, but all across Europe. Darcy is our go-to person when we need to make sense of local regulation across Europe and neighbouring regions.