Does betting make you a “sucker”? One prominent Kentucky politician thinks so.

More and more people are thinking that legal betting apps are basically, as one former industry employee put it, “parasites with us in our pockets.”

The State of Kentucky, on April 1, advanced legislation to modestly reform its online sports betting market. The biggest changes to online betting were raising the legal age from 18 to 21 and banning “under” prop bets involving Kentucky colleges and universities.

During a public hearing, Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, said he warns his teenage sons about what he sees as predatory behavior by the betting apps Kentucky regulates.

“I now tell my sons that if you download one of these apps … You’re a sucker. If you want to talk about a wealth transfer from those who can least afford it … Unfortunately, it’s become this,” McDaniel said.

He’s right. Abstinence is the correct message for young people, not “responsible gambling.”

Surveys show that half of online sports bettors experience problems with their play.

‘Gambling Show’

He added that online sports gambling has “made me dislike watching sports the way that I used to, because I feel like I’m watching a gambling show while a baseball game is going on.”

McDaniel’s remarks echo a growing U.S. sentiment.

According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half of men under 30 now view legal sports betting as “bad for society.” That figure was up from 22% in 2022.

The Center for Addiction Science, Policy, and Research (CASPR) recently gave Kentucky an “F” grade for its regulation of online sports gambling.

While some safeguards do exist for users experiencing addiction, which may be helpful and even a lifesaver for some people, online sports betting products put the onus on the user.

The industry has run amok, and a growing number of Americans realize that betting makes you a sucker.

Photo Credit: David Hargis, Photographer, Public Information Office, Legislative Research Commission