NBA Finals will trigger a surge in sports betting. We need to help problem gamblers.

The public embrace of sports betting has drawn media attention to problem gambling and how to bet responsibly. That discussion is important, and one that the gaming industry welcomes.

Bill Miller Opinion contributor

 As the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat meet in the NBA Finals, Americans will bet tens of millions of dollars on the outcome. The U.S. Supreme Court made such betting possible in 2018 when it overturned the federal ban on sports betting.

And new research by the American Gaming Association shows that the overwhelming majority of American adults (85%) say the court made the right call in allowing states to decide whether to legalize sports betting.   

The public embrace of sports betting has drawn media attention to problem gambling and how to bet responsibly. That discussion is important, and one that the gaming industry welcomes.   

Even before Supreme Court ruling, illegal sports betting was a $150 billion annual market

Since the court’s decision, 37 states and Washington, D.C., have concluded that legal, regulated sports betting is better than the illegal markets that had always existed. But the rapid expansion of sports betting has prompted some to claim the court’s ruling is fueling a surge in problem gambling.