More than half of all adults across the United States, about 112 million of us, will bet on the Super Bowl this weekend. Most of the wagers will be illegal. Estimates from noted USA TODAY sports analyst and oddsmaker Danny Sheridan:
More than $8 billion will be bet, most with back-street bookies, offshore, on the Internet, all illegal.
Between $90 million and $100 million will be bet legally in Nevada.
Laws against betting today are as silly as was the ban on booze before Prohibition ended with the 21st Amendment in 1933.
Legalizing booze means more of us drink in moderation now. I was only 9 when that ban ended, but I remember well the basement or backyard binges on home brew or moonshine by some of my grown-up relatives and neighbors during Prohibition.
My hunch is if gambling on sports events were out in the open, more of us would bet for fun only. Now, too many recklessly and secretly risk the rent money.
The silliness of betting bans is illustrated when governors, mayors and even university presidents of teams involved in big games now usually publicly announce bets with each other. In some states, that’s not illegal. Same is true of office pools if the organizer doesn’t take a cut.
Politicians in Nevada take a bite for the state on all legal gambling. If Super Bowl betting there is around $100 million, the state tax take could be more than $1 million.
Back to the Super Bowl game itself: I agree with Sheridan that Indianapolis will win, even though I went against his oddsmaker’s advice and properly picked Florida to upset Ohio State in the BCS title game.
FEEDBACK
“Prohibition didn’t work and neither has banning sports betting in 49 states. Law enforcement officials need to concentrate on arresting terrorists, not bookmakers and bettors.”
— Danny Sheridan, USA TODAY sports analyst
“Certainly I agree that laws against betting on sports are silly. People will continue to heavily bet on games like the Super Bowl no matter what laws are in place.”
— Dan Gordon, author of “Beat The Sports Book: An Insider’s Guide to Betting the NFL,” and sports betting consultant
Source: Newark Advocate