Taking a closer look at American sports gambling

Americans’ voracious appetite for betting on sports seemingly can’t be satisfied.

The American Gaming Association estimates people wagered $35 billion on the NFL alone and nearly $150 billion across all sports in 2024. Numbers for 2025 are expected to be higher. Americans legally bet a record $1.39 billion on the Super Bowl last year, and that’s likely to be broken this year.

But Danny Funt, author of the just released book, “Everybody Loses,” said there’s much more than money at stake as sports gambling explodes across the country.

He wrote, “The betting boom also threatens to shatter faith in the integrity of sports; in the independence of sports media; in commissioners to protect their players, coaches, and referees from threats of violence; in lawmakers to prioritize the well-being of the constituents over the wish lists of gambling lobbyists.”

ALSO READ: Mississippi renews drive for mobile sports betting to fix pension shortfall.

Related: Is sports betting beneficial or detrimental to sports?
In his enlightening book, Funt delves deeply into the unchecked growth of sports betting in the US. It provides readers with an insight into the workings of sportsbooks, the reasons behind professional leagues’ adoption of gambling, and the extent of the media’s involvement. It calls into question governance, addiction, and ethics.

In one chapter, it is explained how bookmakers limit or cut off large winners while making every effort to keep the biggest losers. The book also recounts heartbreaking tales of gamblers losing everything.

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