Easy access to sports betting may lead to gambling addictions

Certain laws in California make it legal for betting under the terms of “daily fantasy providers,” not a typical sportsbook. The most popular app, PrizePicks, uses a workaround of the law to stay legal while providing users a chance to select players and bet on their under and over totals, as typical sports betting goes.

JAKE RENTERIA STAFF WRITER

Even though Californians voted an overwhelming “No” on Prop 27, which would have allowed for online sports betting, the industry is still seeing a rapid increase in popularity among youth. Now that it is easy to place a bet on your phone, you can make a bet with your morning coffee or during that class you don’t really pay attention in.

Since making sports bets online while in the state of California is not allowed, several new apps have popped up and taken the industry by storm.

When asked if he’s ever gotten into sports betting, computer science major Adam Lyday said, “I have heard of how popular it is but I have never got into it myself, I think it would be fun for people who like sports.”

How it works is fairly simple, if you are 18 years of age or older you can make any account, deposit money with any kind of card or paypal, and start playing. They often offer promotions to hook new users in, these kinds of deals are especially attractive to high school and college age students, looking to make some money while watching their favorite team.

PrizePicks will set a line for a certain player’s state, say 24.5 points, and it’s your job to pick whether they will go over or under that amount. Putting together your guess for multiple players is what’s referred to as a parlay. If your guesses are correct, you will win four to 10 times the money you put on the line, depending on how many players you picked. This format gives you endless options to pick from as they offer almost every sport you can think of.

Throwing around a few bucks every once in a while can seem pretty harmless, but oftentimes this can lead to gambling addictions. A drawback of easily accessible apps like PrizePicks, FanDuel and DraftKings (available in other states) is how it is introducing gambling to the next generation of kids. What can start out as small amounts of money can lead to much bigger problems, spending money you don’t have and the typical saying “I can stop whenever I want.”

The feeling after losing money and wanting to put more in because this time you’ll “make it back,” and the feeling after winning and thinking it will never stop. Kids can start habits that won’t benefit them when they grow up. While gambling used to be older folks heading to casinos, the internet has opened a whole new problem into the world of gambling.

Online betting has become almost commonplace in association with sporting events. It has influenced a younger generation and been normalized in our society in the past few years. Senior Grant Reynolds had never participated himself but said, “I have friends who would tell me about the sports games they were betting on, and it definitely feels like you have more stakes in the game.”

While it is mostly fun and games, it is important to realize the problems getting into gambling can cause. Placing bets in moderation and stopping when it doesn’t become fun anymore will help anyone looking to get into sports gambling to have an enjoyable and responsible experience.