Six years ago, sports betting were illegal under federal law. Today is everywhere.
Professional sports leagues – NFL, MLB and NBA included – have kissed the game and signed lucrative marketing offers With Paris apps like Fanduel and Draft Cooks.
Have you ever played during a sporting event – whether via an application, a Paris swimming pool or a simple Pinkie bet? Do you have your friends or family? Is the prevalence of sports game today a problem?
In the guest test “The price we pay to bet on sports“, Carl Erik Fisher, doctor and bioethicist of drug addiction at Columbia University, written on the rise and the dangers of dependence on sports games:
When we think of any dependence, we tend to focus on people who are completely consumed by it – those whose life is visibly disintegrated. However, the game questions our usual hypotheses on dependence and risk, because its misdeeds extend far beyond the most serious cases.
Consider a young man of my therapy practice, a former university athlete, who is not bankrupt or in crisis but who feels stuck in an unhealthy sports betting cycle. He repeatedly removes the Paris application from his phone, to reinstall it a few days later at the invitation of a well-timed email, a group bet with friends or simply plastered advertisements in each Sports arena. He does very well at work and mainly maintains the limits of the dollar he sets, but his internal concern, his agitation and his pursuit of losses feel bad. His name was not addicted, but he doesn’t feel healthy either. At the very least, he has a crawling feeling that he would feel better if he put his attention and energy towards something more significant.
Serious game addiction is devastating. Beyond financial ruin, it increases the risk of physical health problems, domestic violence and family rupture. Each year, 2.5 million American adults suffer from serious game problems. Many people suffer invisibly, silently parenting their lives on mobile phones, perhaps in the same room as their family and friends.
These serious cases require attention, but focus only on them obscures something important. As a doctor and someone in recovery of alcohol and the stimulating dependence myself, I am concerned about the way in which we were conditioned to see dependence in terms of all or nothing. Beyond the millions of Americans who meet the criteria of game disorder, five to eight to eight million more have a light to moderate game problem that always affects their life – like my patient. Since the federal ban on sports betting has been canceled in 2018, the sports game in the United States has exploded, with annual betting now approaching $ 150 billion.
The increase in today’s sports betting – supercharged by technology and practices of unhindered industry – shows how everyone can fight self -control to various degrees. Simpler to reduce money on which competitors will earn, modern technology has transformed sports betting into a continuous flow at high speed throughout the game. For the Sunday Super Bowl, People can place bets On the things of the result of the draw and the footage of the next training, Kendrick Lamar’s half-time guests how many times Taylor Swift is mentioned.
The continuous test:
We desperately need more resources for the most seriously affected; The National Council on Problem Gambling reports that states are currently investing 0.0009 cents In game dependency support services for each dollar generated from business games. Parents should inquire about the game features in their children’s applications and games, delete the play of shared devices, have open-to-risk conversations and, perhaps, be aware of what they model .
We need common sense regulations that deal with the game not only as a financial problem but also as a question of public health. In Europe, it is more common to see partial limits to advertising, such as the restriction of the mentions of sports celebrities or the advertising of the stadium. Other moderating forces could include the limitation of betting sizes, reducing the speed and intensity of betting in the game, and the restriction of partnership agreements (for example, between playing companies and companies game and university athletics departments).
Critics might say that I am alarmist about an activity that most people appreciate safely. But it lacks the point. If it is true that most players do not develop serious dependencies, we must regulate potentially harmful products according to their full spectrum of impacts, not just their most extreme results.
Students, Read the whole article And then tell us:
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Is sports game a problem? Why or why not? To what extent should we be concerned about the rise and prevalence of sports betting – especially online?
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Do you have, or someone you know, go on a sporting event? If so, what motivated you – or that person – to make a bet? Has having money on the game affecting your pleasure? On the whole, does the growing culture of sports play improve or decrease the experience of being a fan?
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What is your reaction to the test and dangers of sports betting? What lines, details or statistics have you found the most provocative or the most persuasive?
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Dr. Fisher writes: “Parents should inquire about the game features in their children’s applications and games, delete the game of shared devices, have open conversations.” Do you agree? Did your parents tell you about the dangers of sports games or games in general?
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A related article Athletics looks at the dark side of sports betting and its impact on NBA players, detailing how fans can turn to threats and bribes, and how athletes can bet on money on their own games and their own performances. Do you think that the legalized sports game is undermining sports integrity?
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Dr. Fisher is pressure for common sense regulations that deal with the game as a public health problem, such as the restriction of sports celebrities or the advertising of the stadium. What do you think of these recommendations? What other regulations, if applicable, would you suggest approaching the dangers of sports games?
Students aged 13 and over in the United States and Great Britain, and 16 and over elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderate by the staff of the learning network, but keep in mind that your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in paper.
Find more questions of students’ opinion here. Teachers, Consult this guide To find out how to integrate these prompts into your class.