BoA Says Prediction Market and Sports Betting Is Not Good for You

The Bank of America (BoA) has issued a statement in which it assessed the impact that the growth of prediction markets and sports betting has had on credit scores and consumer spending, cautioning that too many people are willing to dip into credit in order to fuel their interest in the aforementioned activities.

Bank of America Takes Stock of Impact of Prediction Markets, Betting

According to the financial institution, the verticals have been evolving to be particularly appealing to consumers and have created products that are not only easy to access but also put a great emphasis on gamified interfaces, which make them more worthwhile.

BoA insists that this consumer behavior could easily lead to overextension of credit and rising loan defaults.

The bank notes that prediction and betting markets have created a unique product class where entertainment and speculative finance converge, leading to more impulsive behavior, which carries personal and financial risks. According to BoA, credit scores fall by an average of 2.75 points when online and mobile sports gambling is available.

Credit Gambling Is Criticized by Lawmakers, with Operators Suspending It In Many Cases

Another issue is that, as per the bank’s assessment, these products are available in areas where young low-income men live. Because of a lower level of financial literacy, many people in this group tend to suffer disproportionately.

Credit gambling has been a major pain point for many consumers as well as lawmakers who have promoted a country-wide ban on these forms of funding gambling behavior. In fact, some operators have already implemented such restrictions as they seek to protect players preemptively and ensure sustainable play.