Once sequestered to the desert of Las Vegas, whispered about over pay phones, and deemed to be a threat to “the integrity of” football by the NFL’s commissioner, the practice of betting on sports has escaped ostracism and emerged as a ballyhooed favorite of sports leagues and fanatics.
For decades, only racetracks and Las Vegas allowed sports gambling in the U.S. Pro leagues were so wary that they refused to even place a team in “Sin City,” lest athletes get caught up in the unseemly habit. In a 2012 court filing, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell formally opposed the spread of sports betting.
But a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the door to widespread sports wagering. And as a new revenue stream for casinos, leagues and states and a new source of entertainment for fans, sports betting quickly proved a coveted debutant. What was taboo became ubiquitous: 38 states have legalized it in some form. In Maryland, there are 13 retail sportsbooks and 12 mobile operators. The Ravens and Orioles both have partnerships with sportsbooks.
“The sports world … went from, ‘Gambling is bad, we don’t like this, we don’t want this,’ to every other commercial is promoting some sportsbook,” said Sean Jones, a Howard County resident who occasionally bets on sports.
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