In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. A fractured court, led by a conservative majority, held that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, enacted in the final months of George HW Bush's presidency, was unconstitutional.
The practical effect of the Murphy decision was that sports gambling, the legal practice of which had been primarily limited to Nevada casinos, became ubiquitous in a short time. A few weeks after the court's decision, Delaware became the first state in addition to Nevada to legalize sports gambling. Today, sports betting is legal in 39 states plus Washington, D.C. And it's notable: it has become almost impossible to watch a football match or browse social media without being assaulted by the seductive advertisements of the sports betting industry.
Just like our failed social experiment with marijuana, which began in earnest with Colorado's decision to legalize recreational use in 2012, The American experiment in legalizing sports gambling has not gone well. On the contrary, it has been nothing short of disastrous for the moral fabric of our nation and the legions of financially vulnerable Americans who fall prey to the industry's temptations.
Many applauded Murphy's decision as a triumph of constitutional federalism and the principle of free markets. But ordered freedom, properly understood, allows no compromise with vice. Legalized sports gambling has not strengthened our civic order; has corroded it. The consequences are both moral and financial, especially among young men. The online mobile betting revolution means the casino is no longer a distant building – it's right in our pocket.
According to the research Tracking 7 million American adults, states with legalized online sports betting have seen a 25-30% increase in bankruptcy filings and an 8% increase in debt sent to collections compared to states without such easy access. Meanwhile, a survey of sports bettors found that one in four say they have missed a bill due to gambling and 30% say they have debts they directly attribute to sports betting. Another survey It was found that more than half of sports bettors carry a credit card balance month to month.
It goes on and on.
The human cost is staggering. Countless young men, increasingly despondent and disconnected from faith, family and community, are now glued to their phones, obsessed with point spreads. Events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl and March Madness, have been turned into vehicles for ruinous addiction. Betting lines crawl on sports broadcasts; ESPN hosts often sound more like casino hosts than sports analysts.
A beloved national pastime that once encouraged civic unity and healthy escape has thus become yet another arena for atomistic consumption and decay. And worse, the innocence and integrity of the sport itself has been irreparably corrupted, as demonstrated by recent high-profile legal cases involving both the NBA and Major Leagues make it very clear.
Proponents of this new dispensation often wave the flag of “personal choice.” But not all options are equal. Just as we regulate narcotics and pornography, we have every right – indeed, every duty – to restrict forms of so-called entertainment that prey on the vulnerable. A culture that shrugs its shoulders and is always content to simply “let people do what they want” is not capable of sustaining republican self-government from one generation to the next.
There is also the question of our broader economic health. Yet another study found that households in states with legal sports betting invest nearly 14% less than comparable households in other states. That means money that could have gone toward retirement savings, small business investments, home financing, or other valuable activities is gambled and lost. For too many people in the already economically disadvantaged millennial and Generation Z demographics, the American dream is being mortgaged for the thrill of a bet.
It should be axiomatic that markets exist to serve man, and not the other way around. State legislatures should review their reckless embrace of legalized sports gambling from sea to sea. Religious and civic leaders must speak candidly about the costs of this new social contagion. Parents should warn their children that the digital casino is not a harmless application, but a spiritual and financial trap.
Earl Warren, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, famous once said on his newspaper reading habits: “I always go to the sports section first. The sports page records people's achievements; the front page has nothing but the man's failures.” You're right, and this may be the only time I agree with Earl Warren. In a healthy culture, sport elevates. It rewards human excellence and reinforces social solidarity. But in a sick culture, sport becomes another instrument of vice.
We must have the courage to say enough is enough. The stakes for society are much higher than any given point margin. It's time to call off bets.
Josh Hammer's latest book is “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Fate of the West.”.” This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. UNKNOWN: @josh_hammer
