The global sports industry is valued at around $123 billion in 2026. Comparatively, the entire global refrigerators market is worth $126 billion. What caused this unfounded explosion, you may ask? Gambling has always been popular for its inherently addictive nature, but sports gambling has recently captured the attention of the public in an unprecedented way.
The fault of this increase in addiction is partially on major sports leagues. A primary case study is the largest sports league in the world: the NFL. With 23 per cent of 18–34-year-olds in the US claiming it is their top interest, and 57 per cent expressing at least a mild interest in the league, there is a market of young people in the United States who are emotionally invested in it and thus willing to bet money.
In the UK, while horse racing remains popular among gamblers, a more mainstream sport for comparison with the NFL is football. In 2024, 23 per cent of football fans placed a bet at an online sports bookmaker. With 63 per cent of 18–34-year-olds in the UK either being an avid or casual fan of the Premier League, more than any other age group, the same correlation can be made. The launch of in-play betting which can be modified as the game proceeds adds another safety net which softens the perceived risk of gambling and encourages it.
Sports betting has long been established as the ‘gateway drug’ to harder forms of gambling due to it being synonymous with such a popular and seemingly innocent pass time. In 2022, there was a 44.5 per cent increase in sports betting from the previous year. With 74 per cent of young people in the UK having been exposed to gambling adverts online, there is a shift towards young, impressionable minds which are passionate about sports and can thus be provided this gateway.
The recent Sydney Sweeney advert for Novig underscores and inspires this article; the intentionally provocative advert preys on the online discourse caused among young people due to its misogynistic slogan, “women can do sports,” using the internet to further spread a fascination with betting.
The modern sports betting industry, tailored particularly toward young people, has only continued to thrive due to the exploitative marketing campaigns of betting companies, but we cannot forget that sports leagues are enabling these companies’ behaviours to the detriment of fans.
This is not a novel take. But the shift from the usual demographic of 40–60-year-olds to Gen-Z in the last 10 years, and betting’s permeation through social media all the way down to the increasing popularity of poker at pre-drinks, enabled by laissez-faire state boundaries, is something to be wary of.
“Sports betting” by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
