Betting Against America: Public Opinion, Integrity Concerns, and the Consequences of Legalized Sports Betting

Abstract

Since 2018, when the Murphy V . NCAA legalized sports betting in the United States, public opinion towards the sports betting industry has dropped steadily despite increased participation rates. This thesis investigates the potential drivers in public opinion to determine what is responsible for this paradox. The two competing driving forces are: social and economic harms caused by legalized sports betting and integrity concerns about the amount of sports betting scandals that have occurred since legalization. After combining existing literature and public opinion data about sports betting, the integrity concern theory emerges as the driving force behind this downward shift in public opinion. Some of these high profile sports scandals are amplified by the media coverage, causing more Americans to change their opinions about sports betting. While there was an abundance of evidence documenting specific social harms that emerge from sports betting, social harms likely will not produce political mobilization or a change in opinion because they are internalized by the affected individual. Overall, both theories hold some weight but integrity concerns are the driving force behind this major drop off in public opinion about the sports betting industry.