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🌊 How Betting Took Over ESPN
Sports betting has overtaken everything from Little League to the NFL, and ESPN is making a killing
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By Max Towey
It's hard to escape sports betting in America today – even on the Little League diamond.
Just this month, as the Little League World Series (LLWS) kicked off in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Little League International felt compelled to issue a stern statement pleading with fans to back off from betting. “There is no place for sports betting on games involving children,” the organization declared, condemning the “rapid rise” in offshore wagers on youth events like the LLWS, where 12-year-olds chase dreams on the diamond.
They even banned all gambling-related advertising from the tournament, highlighting how far the betting boom has infiltrated even the purest corners of sports. Regulated US sportsbooks steer clear of youth games, but offshore sites have stepped in, offering lines on everything from run totals to player props involving kids. BetOnline has offered Little League World Series odds for the past four years.
“The Little League World Series is an exciting tournament that our customers absolutely love to watch, and we get requests from them every year around this time to offer odds,” a BetOnline spokesperson told USA Today. “This will probably be shocking to hear, but we’ll take more bets on these Little League games than we will on any professional tennis or soccer match over the next two weeks.”
If betting the over/under on Pennsylvania vs. American Samoa isn’t a sign of the sports betting epidemic, then what is?
So how did sports betting take over America? And what role have media giants like ESPN played? That’s the subject of today’s deep-dive.
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Editor’s Note
Are you concerned about sports betting? Or are the concerns overblown? Let us know. We’re genuinely curious to hear your thoughts. Also, we’ve been meaning to write a deep-dive on gambling addiction. If you know anyone who may be a good source/interviewee, you can let us know and we’ll guarantee anonymity.
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