Was Legalized Sports Gambling Right for Connecticut?

Recently, NBC CT released the results of a new study on the impact of legalized sports betting in the Nutmeg State. The study, conducted by Brett Hollenbeck, Poet Larsen, and Davide Proserpio, was summarized by NBC as follows:

“A new study indicates the ease of access to sports gambling is harming the financial health of some consumers, including here in Connecticut. Legalized sports gambling was introduced after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018, and debuted here three years ago. The data shows participants were more likely to file for bankruptcy, and had higher amounts of outstanding debt – something researchers consider “statistically significant.”

What do you think?

We talked about this on the Monday (9/9/24) edition of the I-95 Morning Show

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I’m no expert, but in my opinion, legal sports gambling is similar to unhealthy food, alcohol, and marijuana. The easier we make it for people to access, the more problems it can cause, but that seems to be the world we live in—a world of convenience.

I’m sure that legal sports betting has exacerbated gambling problems and made things difficult for those struggling with addiction. However, the systems in place now seem to be less harmful than the street gambling of the past. The apps and casinos available to Connecticut residents are not going to bust kneecaps for unpaid debts, and they offer some safeguards to prevent people from exceeding their typical betting limits.

I’m not trying to downplay the seriousness of gambling addiction; I just believe there are benefits to having a regulated, legal framework for sports betting.

But what the hell do I know?

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