Feds Urged to Get Involved with Gambling, Prevent Addiction

Sen. Richard Blumenthal is pretty much sure that sports gambling – as things stand – needs more oversight. 

The idea is to have Congress step in and not restrict gambling as such, but rather set a national strategy that can help tackle some of the issues that the activity has caused, including a presumed increase in the number of problem gamblers. 

Addiction and Corruption Remain Core Issues for Sports Gambling

“Congress should be involved in putting some limits on sports betting, no question. There are two consequences from the exploding level of activity we’ve seen: corruption and addiction. 

The prevalence of corruption shows the guardrails are not working,” Sen. Blumenthal believes, drawing on the experience of overseas jurisdictions that have set national plans to tackle problem gambling, limit the threat from offshore operators, and encourage prevention. 

In the meantime, Sen. Blumenthal is not tone deaf to what is actually worrying people – i.e. that professional sports people may be in on match-fixing, as is the case with a third of sports fans right now, based on a survey by Quinnipiac University. 

Sen. Blumenthal is also aware of the role of prop bets and how they raise the stakes for people to engage in prohibited behavior, such as athletes leaking information or even fumbling their plays to alter outcomes. 

Corruption and addiction are both types of problems that can be addressed through better overall governmental oversight. 

High-Profile Gambling Scandals Reinforce Skepticism Towards Current Framework 

As to whether the current high-level scandals that have seized at least two professional sports leagues, to wit the MLB and the NBA, could be down to better oversight, reporting, and awareness of the risks associated with the activity, Sen. Blumenthal is skeptical.

The issue is with how sports betting and gambling are regulated, and not so much with law enforcement’s increased capabilities of tracking aberrant behavior, he believes.