Do You Approve or Disapprove of the NFL’s Embrace of Gambling Sponsorships?

[GunnerBill]

I think the American attitude to sports betting is kind of weird. It's just a normalised part of the sports culture in the UK. We have had legalised high street bookmakers since 1960. I don't see any signs that it has made our sport poorer and the limited number of match fixing scandals we have had have almost all been run by criminal gangs from outside the UK (mainly the far east). 

[EasternOHBillsFan]

ESPN having their own gambling company is in itself EXTREMELY problematic... if you have a company hyping up players, gaining access to said players because of their role in sports as broadcasters, THAT is a massive problem. The "if it's not illegal, then do it" culture is pervasive these days.

[Buffalo Boy]

14 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

Are you Vincent Gallo’s charater in Buffalo ‘66???

Beat the LA Raiders 51-3 they said…..

Giants don’t stand a chance they said….

😵😵😵

[Matt_In_NH]

Gambling is like any other vice, in moderation it is fine but many people cannot do it with moderation. Especially younger people who get caught up before they really have any idea what is happening.   Life is about choices, most people live and learn but there is a societal impact on some level, it negatively affects families.  With the advent of AI, I don't think most realize how much they are being manipulated by the apps which is kind of scary but the genie is out, there is no stopping it.   I have a poker background so I understand gambling but I think sports betting is almost exclusively a suckers bet so if you use some disposable cash fine, thinking you will make out is silly unless all you do is take advantage of the signup bonuses.

[Dancing Fool]

I appreciate that one no longer has to wonder as to whether or not there are outside influences impacting the results of the games.

 

It makes me less likely to watch the NFL, but honestly I appreciate that as well.

[RichRiderBills]

Disapprove. 

 

Legal gambling combined w 24/7 finger tip access to wagering is going to proliferate a lot of negative behavior. It's predatory  IMO ..

[Don Otreply]

It’s not a matter of “if” players/ teams throw games, it’s a matter of when, the Pandora’s box has been opened…, 

[CircleTheWagons99]

I'm just tired of the Kevin Hart commercials.....

[dpberr]

The NFL is in a time where it has a desperate thirst for revenue, so no idea is a bad idea if it can extract a dollar. It has also historically turned a blind eye to illegal gambling on its games.   All sports leagues do.  For example, does anyone believe Michael Jordan retired to go play baseball at the peak of his popularity?  Remember the mysterious events surrounding the death of Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom?

 

Strongly oppose it.  It used to be difficult to throw a game as gambling was something done behind the scenes, usually in conjunction with US-based organized crime.  You couldn't easily do it, and you often needed the *right* connections to do it.  It was all quietly done in the background.

 

Now, with it mainstream, you don't need the infrastructure of organized crime to throw games.  An owner or two, a group of players, families of players or officiating, any particular enterprise that is owed debt or has leverage over players or officiating, foreign companies, foreign companies fronting foreign governments all have the opportunity to throw games.  

 

The NFL likely finds itself on the receiving end of a cheating scandal it didn't know about, and it can't control in the era of the Internet, and it burns wildly out of control.  The best outcome is it's a sloppy player here or there - the worst kind will be one where stars of the game are discovered betting on games or a foreign entity - say a company with questionable ties to the Chinese government, or foreign organized crime, are involved.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Edited May 30 by dpberr

[Bill from NYC]

5 hours ago, Steve Billieve said:

 

Every single NFL player is making life changing money. Family changing money. Stars are now likely to become billionaires. The idea that players may throw games for bribes is ludicrous. For stars there's not enough money even on the table to make it worth it. And for scrubs, they see far too few opportunities for anyone to target them for a payout, and far too much risk of ending their careers were they to accept.

 

I don't see much risk to the integrity of the game. Every year replay reduces the influence of refs. The ship has sort of sailed culturally, politicians want the revenue stream and the public's moral objection has significantly faded.

I'm not sure about the bolded. Many big time players wind up in financial distress. This doesn't mean that I am necessarily against the legalized gambling. I suppose that if a player really wanted to bet on games he already could do so illegally, although probably with more difficulty.

 

Also, I am unsure how it works with the legal betting in terms of paying tax. Are winnings taxable? 

[ChiGoose]

I’m happy that sports gambling is legal now. 
 

But sports leagues and the news outlets that cover them should not partner with gambling companies. 

[Gregg]

[Bruffalo]

My dad became a gambling addict late in life and spent a ton of money before ultimately dying on a bender after disappearing for weeks. He left my mother in a very, very rough place financially and now she'll likely have to work until she dies. I had to step in and pay off the last of her mortgage, which has had reverberating effects where I'm now 5-10 years behind financially compared to my peers. 

 

Because of this I'm personally against gambling and I try to stay away from it.  I don't think it's healthy for it to be promoted so heavily, and I'm not a fan of it becoming such a huge sponsor of basically every sport, but I do think it's better to be legal and regulated than pushed out of sight where people can be exploited. 

[Steve Billieve]

46 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I'm not sure about the bolded. Many big time players wind up in financial distress. This doesn't mean that I am necessarily against the legalized gambling. I suppose that if a player really wanted to bet on games he already could do so illegally, although probably with more difficulty.

 

Also, I am unsure how it works with the legal betting in terms of paying tax. Are winnings taxable? 

Heavily so, it's independent of income level as well. Government pretty much takes half

[GoBills808]

i think its great

[Bill from NYC]

27 minutes ago, Steve Billieve said:

Heavily so, it's independent of income level as well. Government pretty much takes half

Is one taxed on ANY size bet? For instance, would a winning 100 dollar bet on the Bills be taxed? If so, I don't see why anyone would bet legally. Maybe because a "bookie" would probably now be charged with RICO instead of merely Promoting Gambling. 

[Steve Billieve]

5 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Is one taxed on ANY size bet? For instance, would a winning 100 dollar bet on the Bills be taxed? If so, I don't see why anyone would bet legally. Maybe because a "bookie" would probably now be charged with RICO instead of merely Promoting Gambling. 

 

No, I believe it requires a cash out positive. So obviously this doesn't really affect too many people. But the gov is absolutely cashing in on those long tail winners.

[Steve Billieve]

15 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Is one taxed on ANY size bet? For instance, would a winning 100 dollar bet on the Bills be taxed?

 There's a threshold for reporting to IRS, so below 5k, for the most part, doesn't get reported. So in law, sure, in practice, no.

 

I also think there's a $400 threshold were income isn't taxable, not sure exactly.

[Buffalo Boy]

15 minutes ago, Steve Billieve said:

 

No, I believe it requires a cash out positive. So obviously this doesn't really affect too many people. But the gov is absolutely cashing in on those long tail winners.

Which begs the question:

  If one can’t afford to live because of these onerous taxes ( which to some degree provide a benefit) how can one enrich a corporate racket that provides less benefit?

Rhetorical question. 

   

Edited May 30 by Buffalo Boy

[GoBills808]

3 minutes ago, Steve Billieve said:

 There's a threshold for reporting to IRS, so below 5k, for the most part, doesn't get reported. So in law, sure, in practice, no.

 

I also think there's a $400 threshold were income isn't taxable, not sure exactly.

so from my understanding

 

you are still supposed to report all winnings (cash out or no) and most sites arent sending w2gs