The Little League Baseball World Series kicked off this week in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Players are all younger than 13 years old, which is why no legal sportsbooks in the US accept bets on the action.
Gambling on underage sporting events is a big no-no, as it is exploitative of minors and makes them vulnerable to harassment, bribery, or excessive pressure.
some offshore sportsbooks have been offering markets on the games
However, some offshore sportsbooks have been offering markets on the games, which led to Little League International emphasizing its strong feelings that “there is no place” for any type of betting on youth competition:
Lawmakers and gambling regulators in the US have been going after offshore sportsbooks in recent months, issuing cease-and-desist orders to many operators. The problem is that these platforms are based overseas in jurisdictions where they are subject to little oversight, and it is hard to hold them accountable.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) released data this week from a recent study that shows that nearly one-third of the money that Americans spend gambling goes to unregulated or illegal operators. This totals approximately $673bn, with state governments losing out on $15.3bn in taxes every year.
