Sports Gambling for Youth in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sports Gambling for Youth in the USA - Essay Example Money is what makes the mighty and powerful superior to all others. Sports and gambling have always been a pastime of our society and it would only seem fitting for our youth to follow in the footsteps of the generations preceding their own. "Possibly the biggest reason for an increase in illegal sports wagering is that society accepts gambling and believes there are no victims. Gambling is becoming an everyday accepted activity in areas of America that never before had easy access. Virtually everyone can buy a lottery ticket, bet on a horse, or drive to a riverboat casino just a short trip away" (Saum 2). The more time a gambler occupies placing bets, the more this once simple activity has becomes a dangerous obsession. At this point, one must begin to consider the true value of sports gambling and if it has any value at all. "The profile of the typical college student who gambles is someone who believes he has control of his own destiny, takes risks, and feels he possesses the skill to be successful in this endeavor. Ironically, these are many of the same qualities of successful college athletes and may explain why some are drawn to sports gambling" (Saum 1). Sports and gambling rely on one key element; luck, which is seen as a hope that becomes a reality, but only for a mere few. Having been brought up in an environment that teaches how money and luck go hand in hand the modern day generation is more inclined to test their luck. The internet is perhaps the best and easiest resource in which our youth can access the gambling world. "Computers are readily available for use in many high schools, college, and university libraries, and the cost of personal computers has been drastically reduced" (McBride 1). With this in mind, the student-athletes that have come to understand the internet gambling world have the most influential impact. NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey stated that "For the NCAA, this creates the potential that a student-athlete could place a wager and then attempt to influence the outcome of a game while participating in the contest. We are also concerned that the growth of Internet gambling may be fueled by college students who have easy access to the Internet. Students and student-athletes who develop gambling problems behind closed doors are difficult to reach. The NCAA believes there is a serious need for federal legislation prohibiting Internet gambling" (NCAA News Release). Dempsey's fears are rightfully placed since incidents like these are not uncommon among student-athletes. One NCAA-sponsored studied revealed that "of 2,000 male student-athletes in Division I basketball and football programs surveyed about NCAA rules violation, 25% reported that they gambled on college sports events other than their own while in college. Four percent admitted that they wagered on games in which they had played, and three of the athletes said they changed the outcome of the game in which they participated" (Saum 1). Results like this only show a portion of what could be a larger number of student-athletes that may be involved with sports gambling and could have directly impacted the results of a game in their respective sport. This alone changes many assumptions of the nature of sporting events and