The legalization of on-line sports betting is the current trend in new gambling opportunities in the United States. The trend started before the pandemic hit but coincided with COVID-19 shut-downs of in-person gaming across the U.S., which has led to higher-than-expected revenues. At the present time, 19 states have legal and fully operational sports betting, with Virginia just opening sports betting this month, and Michigan not far behind. Chris Katje, reporter for Yahoo!Finance interviewed Shaun Kelley, Bank of America financial analyst in Katje’s January 10, 2021 article:
“By the end of 2021, Kelley forecasts 27 states will have legal sports betting, representing 49% of the U.S. population. The years 2021 and 2022 could add a combined 24% of the U.S. adult population into the sports betting market versus 10% added in 2018 and 23% added in 2019 and 2020.” (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sports-betting-could-grow-70-174309410.html)
Governor Andrew Cuomo and possibly other governors are looking for ways to meet huge budget deficits in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Cuomo said publicly in his State of the Union address Wednesday, January 6, 2021, that legalizing marijuana and online sports betting in New York would generate more than $300 million in tax revenue. “At a time when New York faces a historic budget deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current online sports wagering structure incentivizes a large segment of New York residents to travel out of state to make online sports wagers or continue to patronize black markets. New York has the potential to be the largest sports wagering market in the United States, and by legalizing online sports betting we aim to keep millions of dollars in revenue here at home, which will only strengthen our ability to rebuild from theCOVID-19 crisis.”
(https://patch.com/new-york/southeast/s/hdi59/cuomo-calls-to-legalize-marijuana-online-sports-betting?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert)
What does all this mean for those who provide services to those who are affected by gambling disorders? It means that we have to stay current and learn from those who know about how services may need to be rendered differently to effectively reach on-line sports bettors who need assistance. We need to take every opportunity to adapt to the current trends to meet current needs. We need to find ways to educate those making the rules about on-line and in-person sports betting about the problems that can occur and the need for services for those who are affected by gambling disorders. We need to become more vocal about speaking regarding potential gambling problems and the need for funding to meet the need to provide the necessary services. We need to support federal funding for services for those affected by gambling disorders and to partner with others who have a common mission to have a unified voice regarding funding and much-needed services.