• Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
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    22 hours ago

    The difference is that black market gambling is distributed. It means that there are fewer protections for people who engage in it but more people profiting from it.

    But legalization just means most of the action is controlled by a handful of corporations, and the government is involved in protecting the flow of money, of which they get a cut.

    • acosmichippo@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      There’s also the issue of volume, more betting volume could mean more opportunity for corruption. I don’t have numbers but i’m guessing there is a lot more betting now that it’s legal, with ads and sponsorships constantly in your face, and easily accessible with phone apps and sportsbooks. But i have not seen any officially expressed concern about that aspect from any league representatives, only spin that it’s better legalized and regulated.

      The overall point is that sports leagues definitely do want sports betting. more engagement, ad sales, endorsements, and they can even get in on the action directly by ownership or investments.