It may be different where all of you live, but all my TV channels now run endless commercials that are pushing all these online gambling operations. The ads are bad enough, but the pitchmen are often athletes from various sports. I can recall a time when Baseballs Pete Rose was excoriated and kept out of the Hall of Fame over gambling. True, it was a different era and different circumstances but that seems to be splitting hairs. Why would any professional athlete want to associate himself with any form of gambling? Just seems sleazy to me!

Like "insider trading", or any other conflict of interest realm.

If there is a question, (to/off ethics) the answer should be "Aw, Hell No!"

We don't have TV, but that crap is showing up in my podcasts and YouTube videos, and all over the place online now, too. Personally, I don't even watch or follow sports, and I view any form of gambling as a tax on the stupid, and there's zero chance that I'm ever going to participate, so it's idiotic that I'm getting these ads.

My kids did get a used X-box a few months ago and the younger two enjoy playing Madden. With the way everybody tracks your online footprint and targets ads these days, I can only conclude that that's why we're getting these ads. So basically, these shitsticks are trying to market online sports gambling on my 8 and 10 year old kids .

I've also noticed that hard liquor is advertised nowadays. I don't remember that as a kid, only beer.

This couldn't possibly become an issue with young paid college athletes.

It’s a multibillion dollar business. It’s not just TV I have Bengals season tickets and you are bombarded with it at the stadium.
If you don’t think it’s effecting the game you are delusional.

quote:

Originally posted by Krazeehorse:
This couldn't possibly become an issue with young paid college athletes.

My state allows HIGH SCHOOL NIL deals!
Not a good thing for sports as a whole.

Online sports book. Times have changed.

quote:

My kids did get a used X-box a few months ago and the younger two enjoy playing Madden. With the way everybody tracks your online footprint and targets ads these days, I can only conclude that that's why we're getting these ads. So basically, these shitsticks are trying to market online sports gambling on my 8 and 10 year old kids

^^^^^^^^^
It comes down to parental responsibilty. We used to eat at the local casinos because it was a good value. My kids were taught that the casinos were in the math business. Neither have had problems with gambling or playing slots.

WRT the question in the OP, one perhaps assumes that pro athletes are good role models. My perception is that they are generally far from it. Perhaps it's just the minority getting the attention, but my perception is that, in general, pro athletes don't exhibit good sportsmanship or values and tend to behave more like classless celebrities.

This may be the exception. But it's how I perceive them to be, justified or not. As such, it's not okay for them to be promoting a societal vice. But it's not surprising either.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

We used to eat at the local casinos because it was a good value. My kids were taught that the casinos were in the math business. Neither have had problems with gambling or playing slots.

Ancient history -- way back in the late 1960's, I was the principal design engineer for all trunk circuits for a new telephone switching system. The first field installation was in the Las Vegas area, and I was one of the engineering team sent there for three months, to be on standby in the event that initial testing revealed any problems in my area of responsibility.

The design team regularly ate at a casino, and frequently would catch a show after dinner. We were on line waiting for seating for a show and there were some nickel slot machines right next to the line. The project manager kept feeding nickels in with no payback. I observed him for a while and told him that he was putting the coins in the slot incorrectly. I told him that the head should be on the left with the image right-side-up and the tail side of the coin should be on the right, so I demonstrated, putting my nickel in "correctly." My first (and only) nickel: jackpot! He was pissed, to say the least.

The professional leagues all have rules about players gambling. They aren’t allowed to bet on their own games or sport. There are silly rules about placing bets at team facilities. Rose bet on his team’s games. A baseball manager betting on his team’s game doesn’t pass the smell test. A baseball player betting on the ponies or a football game is different. Why wouldn’t a player want that sweet endorsement money? What’s the difference between shilling for an online sportsbook vs a beer company or an insurance company?

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

^^^^^^^^^
It comes down to parental responsibilty. We used to eat at the local casinos because it was a good value. My kids were taught that the casinos were in the math business. Neither have had problems with gambling or playing slots.

Oh I'm clear on that. If anything, it's provided some good fodder for conversation with my kids about why gambling will cost you and how it's leveraged to take your money. That doesn't make these marketing shitbags any less shitbaggy, though.

quote:

Rose bet on his team’s games.

He still deserves to be in the HOF!

When I was a kid, it was all about NFL, MLB, NBA. So children, via these constant commercials, getting exposed to legalized gambling. Shit bombarded with it. It’s atrocious to me. Constant gambling commercials, beer commercials, fuck it all.

It's been mentioned here already but it appears that all this legal online gambling is also starting to change sports like football. Lately there have been some really questionable calls by referees that have been making people wonder if these games are starting to get rigged and outcomes tied to this gambling.

Personally I don’t think there’s too big of a problem betting on your team to win. I think betting on your team to lose and a lot of the prop bets could be an issue, but betting on your team to win should be incentive to do better.

Much like you should be able to hold stock in your company as the owner/ceo, but shorting your own stock seems problematic.

quote:

Originally posted by Kskelton:
Personally I don’t think there’s too big of a problem betting on your team to win. I think betting on your team to lose and a lot of the prop bets could be an issue, but betting on your team to win should be incentive to do better.

Much like you should be able to hold stock in your company as the owner/ceo, but shorting your own stock seems problematic.

Betting on your own team to win sounds like it’s ok but surely changes behavior during the game. There’s risk to win the game and extra risk because you’ve got six figures riding on the win. Did you take the money line or the points? Might be an issue if your team’s ahead but you personally need to cover and decide to get cute.

quote:

I can recall a time when Baseballs Pete Rose was excoriated and kept out of the Hall of Fame over gambling. True, it was a different era and different circumstances but that seems to be splitting hairs.

Considering that to the best of my knowledge he didn't even bet against his own team, it's downright hypocritical. He isn't a gentleman or even a particularly nice guy, but there are worse assholes in the Hall of Fame.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

I’m no expert so blast me if I’m wrong but Rose merely bet on his team winning. I have NEVER heard anyone accuse him of betting to cover the spread. He bet on his team to win, that’s it. He wasn’t accused of altering any outcome to win a bet. That is a big difference.

Today’s betting is different. You can bet on anything now. You can bet in the middle of a game. You can bet from your phone. You can bet on an individual player’s stats. None of that was happening during Rose’s tenure. Simpler times.

Sports betting is why I absolutely think the fix is in. Not all the time and not even noticeable perhaps. The truth is there is nothing that generates 10 billion dollars a year that somebody isn’t cheating to come out on top. Players, coaches, refs are no exception.

Personally I think advertising gambling should be illegal. It is going to ruin a lot of lives for very little to no benefit to society. You cannot advertise cigarettes but you can advertise sports betting. Of course every fifth ad has to be a gambling addiction commercial so they do have societies best interests at heart.

I’m not a big government guy usually but I do think they have a place at times. I’m not saying outlaw betting but commercializing it, normalizing it, feels a bit too close to trying to snatch the kids early. Same reasoning why cigs were banned I believe. You can’t market seductively to children. Or shouldn’t.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
I’m no expert so blast me if I’m wrong but Rose merely bet on his team winning. I have NEVER heard anyone accuse him of betting to cover the spread. He bet on his team to win, that’s it. He wasn’t accused of altering any outcome to win a bet. That is a big difference.

Today’s betting is different. You can bet on anything now. You can bet in the middle of a game. You can bet from your phone. You can bet on an individual player’s stats. None of that was happening during Rose’s tenure. Simpler times.

I am a big Pete Rose fan and agree absolutely that he should be in the HOF no question.

The folks that disagree argue that while he only bet on the Reds to win. The games he did not bet on he brought in a particular reliever (who was not very good) or left his starting pitchers in longer than he normally would have (numerous time resulting in losses) so that he would have a better/fresh pitching line up for the following game that he did bet on.

That is a mere summary of the main argument I have read.