Famous Sportscaster Bob Costas Said He Refused to Read Gambling Ads on Air

During a recent interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,” legendary baseball commentator Bob Costas said that he couldn’t, in good conscience, promote gambling during broadcasts by reading gambling ads.

Bob Costas Refused to Read Gambling Ads

Costas, who retired from the broadcast booth at the end of the 2024 MLB season, revealed that he refused to read gambling promos during his time on both the Major League Baseball Network and while calling a handful of games for Turner.

According to Costas, someone else had to read the promos, or a “voice of God” type announcer was used instead. He explained that he couldn’t, in good conscience, encourage people to gamble, acknowledging that while it may be harmless recreation for some, there is an insidious aspect to it that he did not want to support.

Costas’s views on sports betting were deeply shaped by his personal background. He described his father as an “inveterate gambler” whose habit caused significant turmoil within the family. According to Costas, his father had a volatile temper, and the outcome of his bets, which he often placed on baseball, football, and basketball, frequently put the family’s mortgage at risk. This has led to considerable emotional strain in the family.

However, Costas explained that his father’s habit also allowed them both to bond by following the games. The former sports commentator explained that he would have probably been a sports fan regardless of his father’s betting habit. However, the fact that he followed those games with his father helped Costas become “granularly knowledgeable” in sports. Costas worked for NBC Sports from 1980 to 2019, covering the NFL, NBA, and MLB. During his tenure, he hosted NBC’s coverage of 12 Olympic Games and served as the host of the Kentucky Derby broadcasts from 2001 to 2018.

Costas Calls for More Regulation on Gambling

In light of the growing popularity of sports betting, Bob Costas called for increased national regulation during a recent interview. He believes it’s only a matter of time before wagering becomes legal in every state, which is a shift he warns will bring significant problems. 

Costas isn’t alone in his calls for more regulation on sports betting, which is legal in 39 US states and operational in 38. Many in politics are also actively looking to pass more rules and restrictions on the practice to protect both users and athletes alike. For example, recently, a proposed New Jersey bill seeks to ban college prop bets as the state is seeing an increase in harassment of young athletes.

Costas pointed out that the entire gambling industry relies on the fact that bettors lose more often than they win. He noted that without this imbalance, there would be no back-alley craps games, no casinos in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, no racetracks, and no platforms like BetMGM or DraftKings. “In the big picture,” he said, “the house always wins.”