The news cycle is normally dominated by major headlines about politics, foreign policy and the economy. Recently, it was interrupted by a story about Sydney Sweeney posing nude, covered with various sports equipment. The controversy around Sweeney’s impact on women’s sports overshadows the true message of the ad. America has a sports gambling addiction.
A nationwide casino
Our current gambling craze dates back to 2018 when the Supreme Court decided to overturn the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. It is not hyperbolic to say that in the time since, America has become almost like a continent-spanning casino, with wagers growing by more than 20 times the $4.9 billion in 2017 to a whopping $121.1…