EDITORIAL: A new March Madness? America is getting addicted to sports betting.

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 7:25 PM
  • Editorial Board, The Washington Post

March Madness has just ended, setting all-time viewership records. Baseball season is in full swing, with a revamped schedule, more interleague games and marquee matchups. The NBA and NHL playoffs begin April 20. And football fans can look forward to the NFL draft April 25 to 27.

This confluence of events on the sports calendar also means an explosion of online betting. Unfortunately, Americans can also expect an increase in debt, bankruptcies, and losses of jobs and homes.

Predictably, gambling’s problems have also crossed over into the sports themselves, bringing the whiff of scandal and raising questions about the integrity of the games.