Colton’s Corner: Sports Gambling continues to grow but is it good for sports as a whole

The morality of gambling and sports is a tricky relationship.

At its worst, you get the Black Sox Scandal of 1919 where eight players were accused of throwing the World Series in exchange for money from a gambling syndicate that stained the reputation of baseball, ending with a lifetime ban of the players involved.

One of the most famous examples is Pete Rose.

Considered to be one of the greatest baseball hitters of all time, Rose was accused of gambling on baseball games he managed before being hit with a lifetime ban.

Then the most recent example is former Toronto Raptors basketball player Jontay Porter.

Last week, Porter was given a lifetime ban by the National Basketball Association after accusations of the Raptors player gambling on his own team. An investigation found that Porter placed bets on NBA games including on his own team.

Then of course there is both the City College of New York and Boston College basketball team point-shaving scandals that almost took down College Basketball as a whole.

These are some of the examples of why gambling and sports can be such a bad mix.

The critical part about why sports is enjoyed by so many people is the fact that the sporting event is random.

The athletes involved are expected to perform at their highest level to give their fans and the TV audience a compelling product to watch.

But with match fixing and point shaving, the integrity of the sport is taken away.

So yes, there are plenty of examples of why sports and gambling should not go together.

Yet in recent years, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Gambling sites like Fanduel, DraftKings and Prize Picks have partnered over professional leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL opening up an avenue for fans to bet on either their favorite teams or make a little money.

Now gambling sites have started commercials paired simultaneously with the games themselves on where you can bet and how.

Gambling has expanded so far that not only can you bet whether or not a team can beat their opponent and by how much, but now people can bet whether or not players can reach certain statistics.

Even on ESPN College Gameday, the show has started to include the betting under and overs for each game from Alabama- LSU to Texas State-South Alabama. Then on top of that, ESPN has started their own betting app on with recommendations who you should put your money on.

Gambling has slowly become mainstream as times move on with seemingly more young people jumping on the bandwagon.

But is this really good for sports as a whole?

Ultimately it depends on what your morals are.

Gambling is similar to drinking alcohol and smoking. Is it good for you? Not really, yet people still do it. (It is important to note the State of Texas and other states do not allow online sports gambling.)

To watch a sports game, you do not have to gamble on the game, much like you are allowed to not drink alcohol at the game. You are allowed to do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

But much like alcohol, gambling can be addictive with the potential of destroying both families and relationships.

On a personal level, I do not partake in gambling nor do I encourage it. But if someone else is gambling on a sport and enjoys it, I am not going to stand in their way if it is done responsibly. We live in a free country and we should be able to do whatever we want in our own personal lives as long as it does not harm one’s self or others.

But I will say this. ESPN, other news organizations and professional sports leagues should not get fully in bed with these gambling organizations.

ESPN, a news organization dedicated to delivering 24/7 sports coverage, should not be devoting time and resources to whether or not you the audience should bet the over.

When people start influencing people under the age of 21 to start gambling, intentional or not, you start to have a major problem.

Much how there are laws that prohibit certain aspects of drinking alcohol or outlawing ads of cigarettes, steps need to be taken to do the same with sports gambling and the impression it can have on young people.

The professional sports leagues should also not get into bed with the gambling sites, especially since they are going to promote these gambling sites and get millions of dollars for it while cracking down on their own players for gambling on their own time.

Now the line should be very clearly drawn on whether or not a player can or should not gamble. If they are gambling within their own sport, then yes, they should be banned for life. If they want to gamble on a sport that is not their own, let them.

Unfortunately for some, gambling is here to stay.

But ultimately sports organizations and gambling should be held an arms length away from each other. Because if not, it won’t be long until a 21st Century Black Sox scandal lands on our front door.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc