Political commentator Saagar Enjeti appeared on Tucker Carlson Uncensored this week and spoke about the growing plight of gambling addiction across the country. Carlson himself called legal sports betting operators “predatory” and “disgusting” for preying on the sadness of young men who he says don’t have much of a chance of financial well-being:
Enjeti predicts that all 50 states will have legal sports betting in the next decade and that bankruptcy rates will skyrocket. He went as far as suggesting that gambling addiction could be the next opioid epidemic in the US.
just 3% of gamblers making up half of the total revenue due to their compulsiveness
The 33-year-old remarked that the $14bn in legal sports betting revenue last year was bigger than what the movie industry made, with just 3% of gamblers making up half of the total revenue due to their compulsiveness.
He went as far as suggesting that operators potentially enable addicts through their VIP hosts, who are in regular contact with the most frequent bettors and offer them incentives to keep going.
Enjeti highlighted that sportsbooks will ban or heavily limit the bet sizes of any customers who are winning too much.
The Texas native suggested that regulators often turn a blind eye as they’re raking in significant tax revenue from the activity. He highlighted the societal cost of increased betting, with recent research showing significant rises in domestic violence and bankruptcy.
Enjeti’s solution is to restrict sports betting to in-person wagering, similar to purchasing cigarettes.
