This article was originally published by UNC Media Hub in April 2024.
Student-athletes on the UNC-Chapel Hill baseball team have previously received negative messages from fans who expect a certain performance. However, with sports betting legalized in North Carolina starting March 11, there may be more messages and pressure from sports bettors.
Carter Hicks, director of baseball player and program development, said legalized sports betting and access to social media provides an avenue for fans to share their opinions.
In some cases, it can come at the expense of the player.
“They live in this circle where people are betting. And if things don’t happen the way they want, [bettors] “If we don’t win a game, if someone doesn’t make a bet, the players are going to know that,” Hicks said. “And sometimes it doesn’t always go in a good direction.”
UNC-CH cross country and track and field athlete Michael Spragley said betting can make sports more interesting, but something should be done about fan comments about athletes. He said regulation of such comments should be imposed on betting agencies.
Spragley said gambling companies should run educational campaigns that emphasize the humanity behind athletes so the average fan understands they are betting on real people.
“They see it as a dollar, an opportunity to make money,” Spragley said. “But they are also human beings, with hopes and dreams, anxieties and stress.”
In addition to being an athlete, Spragley, a native of Chesterfield, Virginia, is currently a graduate student at UNC-CH.
He said sports betting can put pressure on student-athletes and even affect their quality of play.
“As an athlete, there’s pressure on yourself to perform…pressure from coaches, family friends, that’s enough,” he said. “But when you add betting on top of that, even if you win the match, someone might boo you because you didn’t get enough points. That’s a big deal for 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds. I think so.”
Justin, a bettor and UNC-CH senior who requested partial anonymity, admitted that betting on sports has changed the way he views certain athletes. He said professional athletes’ job is to perform well and be an asset to their team, so he understands why disgruntled bettors would cut back on them.
But he doesn’t agree with sending a negative message to student-athletes.
“I’m also friends with people on some of the sports teams here, and I’ve seen and heard some of the hate messages about them not performing as well as they should,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to die, but I might get upset if the guy who normally does rebounds suddenly forgets how to rebound and gets down to one rebound by the end of the game. That’s very frustrating. .”
Spragley said the integrity of track racing could be in question if betting at the track is a bigger deal. If athletes felt the pressure of betting, it would be easy to run slower and quit the race, Spragley said.
And that’s one of the reasons athletes can’t bet on sports according to NCAA rules.
NCAA President Charlie Baker recently posted the following: statement They are calling on lawmakers to ban prop gambling at the college level, where bets are placed on the performance of individual players. In his statement, he raised concerns about the impact prop betting has on the integrity of the game and harassment of athletes.
But Mark Nichols, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, said prop betting also increases fan engagement. Nichols said that when sports betting first became legal in Nevada, bettors couldn’t bet on college teams for fear of player corruption or that players would throw games if they had money. That’s what it means.
Prop betting was allowed after leagues realized it could increase viewership, he said.
Sports betting is expected to lead to increased fan engagement, but with money at stake, increased engagement is not necessarily positive.
“[Athletes] It doesn’t just exist to be enjoyed. They’re there to accomplish a goal,” Spragley said. “Remember, whether you’re placing a bet or just biting a player online, there’s a human being out there.”
Who are the bettors?
James Whelan, a psychology professor at the University of Memphis and executive director of the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and Research (TIGER), said sports betting is reaching a younger audience due to the nature of sports culture in the United States. .
“There’s a lot of attention right now, especially on young men. Why? Well, a lot of young people — not all, but a lot of young men — are growing up paying attention to the sport,” Whelan said. “It’s a conversation they have every day with their friends.”
He said they have confidence in it because they pay attention to Sports Center and check the box score frequently.
“When you have confidence in something, you’re more likely to work on it,” Whelan says. “As such, sports betting particularly appeals to people who have made a significant investment in learning about the sports they are interested in.”
Additionally, the legalization of sports betting has made advertising for North Carolina’s many betting platforms and opportunities more powerful, potentially helping to attract new gamblers.
“It’s all over TV. You’re seeing it all over social. They’re pushing really hard to get North Carolinians to gamble, and it’s definitely working.” said Justin. “I’m pretty sure this guy has heard more conversations about gambling in a month than he’s probably ever heard before.”
Opportunities to make money also draw people to gambling. According to Justin, betting in the form of sports is more approachable than stock trading, for example, and easier to understand for those who have a passion for a particular athlete, team or sport.
“I think the reason a lot of people in our generation are doing it is because things are more expensive than ever,” Justin said. “And I think people feel like there’s a lot of things in the world that they don’t understand or don’t know how to control. And while sportsbooks always have a higher winning percentage and better odds, , I think more people these days think sportsbooks can beat this system. And I think they can.”
One thing Justin has learned is to never bet money you don’t want to lose. He said it’s important to spend as little actual money as possible, which is what happened after UNC-CH’s men’s basketball Sweet 16 loss during March Madness. Justin lost about $100, but that loss was on bonus his bets, or in-app credits that are only valid within the sportsbook and can be used to earn real money.
It’s a tactic he learned over several years of betting. However, this is a safety measure and is not guaranteed for everyone. In the first place, problems of excessive gambling and increasing debt were common concerns about legalizing gambling in the state.
divided house
North Carolina’s sports betting bill originally failed in the Senate in 2022. Approved in May 2023 by a vote of 38-11. The bill survived 17 failed amendments in the House of Representatives and was finally passed in June 2023. In the latest vote, opinions were divided, with 69 votes in favor and 44 votes against.
Rep. Frank Sossamon (R-Granville) voted against the bill, citing concerns for North Carolina families. As a pastor, he said he has seen the other side of gambling and gambling, including debt, addiction, domestic violence and high suicide rates.
“I’ve seen all of those negative impacts, and I think it’s wrong for North Carolina leaders to make a little money off of family entertainment expenses,” Sossamon said. “That’s why I’m against gambling and I’m against sports betting. That’s why I’ve done everything under the sun to prevent that from happening.”
Sossamon said he tried to encourage safeguards against gambling, such as requiring credit cards and placing limits on wagers. But he said he could not support the bill without the safeguards he sought.
“No amount of money is worth the impact that gambling can have on a person, how gambling can change the way a person thinks,” Sossamon said. . “Even the person I once was, I’m not anymore.”
Rep. Zach Hawkins (D-Durham) said he supported the bill for multiple reasons, including economic benefits, but that consumer protection and responsible participation are the primary goals, with revenue secondary. agreed.
He said about $2 million from gambling revenue will go toward helping with gambling addiction problems.
The NC Problem Gambling Program provides support throughout North Carolina, including education, advocacy, and treatment services. The North Carolina Lottery Commission says it currently receives $1 million in state lottery funds, but by next year it will receive $3 million a year.
The commission also established a voluntary self-exclusion program, required by state law, to minimize the risk of harm that may result from sports betting and other types of gaming.
Hawkins said some betting apps also have restrictions and safeguards.
“We wanted to make sure that people could travel safely, even if they were down on the platform. [participate] But please act responsibly,” Hawkins said. “And it’s just like anything else we participate in. It’s fine to do that, but we don’t want people to go overboard to the point of harm.”
The Lottery Commission will help with oversight, and Hawkins said if gaming companies aren’t responsible actors, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay in the state.
“If they can’t be good actors for the people of North Carolina, they don’t deserve to be in business,” Hawkins said.
The future of betting in North Carolina
Hawkins said the bet could bring more than $100 million to North Carolina, based on early signs of interest. He said the proceeds will be used in a positive way.
“There are some real applications and opportunities for the revenue that’s coming in,” Hawkins said. “But, of course, the most important thing is that we expect it to continue to foster economic development.”
Approximately 50% of gaming revenue will go to the state general fund, the main fund for state government spending, and the remaining 50% will go toward supporting youth sports programs, such as facility upgrades and sporting equipment for people with limited mobility. It will be done. There’s plenty of room, Hawkins said.
“As a growing state, especially as a state that imports a lot of people from around the country, we need to start moving in the direction of some of our peer states,” Hawkins said. “But most importantly, we have to make sure we don’t miss out on revenue that goes to other states.”
Neighboring states Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky have legalized in-person and online sports betting, but South Carolina and Georgia have not yet.
Nichols, a Utah economics professor who studies betting and gambling nationally, said legalizing gambling in North Carolina may encourage people to gamble more within the state than outside the country. said.
“I think North Carolina is smart if it’s already happening,” he says. “‘So why are we missing out on it?’ If we legalize it and bring it in-house, we’ll get that money instead of where it goes.” ”
In the first week of legalized sports betting, North Carolinians wagered $198 million, according to the Lottery Commission. The state received $42.7 million in total gaming revenue, less winnings from total wagers.
Spragley said betting may be lucrative for fans and the country, but from an athlete’s perspective, it takes something of value out of the sport. It can affect an athlete’s performance, quality of play and overall competitive experience, he said.
Now, Spragley says fan involvement in sports may just be a matter of entertainment and money. [contribute] However, we will lose the core of sports, which is the enjoyment of competition. ”