When the Game Bets Back: How Gambling Is Changing the Soul of Sports

November 10, 2025

Sports journalist Darryl Jacobs argues that gambling culture has fundamentally corrupted athletics at all levels, from professional leagues to youth sports. Recent lifetime bans of college players for game-fixing and NBA players' involvement in betting scandals demonstrate how gambling has compromised competitive integrity across the sports world. Teenagers are particularly vulnerable, with many placing their first bets at age sixteen after seeing athletes and influencers normalize gambling behavior through social media and apps.

Who is affected

Six former college players from New Orleans, Mississippi Valley State, and Arizona State (banned for life)
Jontay Porter (NBA player who admitted to game manipulation)
Terry Rozier (facing federal charges)
High school athletes and teenagers (exposed to normalized betting culture)
Youth athletes generally (learning compromised values)
Fans, teammates, and communities
Future generations of athletes

What action is being taken

The NCAA is imposing sanctions and lifetime bans on players involved in gambling violations
Professional athletes like Jontay Porter are admitting to manipulation
Terry Rozier is facing federal charges
Leagues, the NCAA, and networks are profiting from betting through sponsorships and partnerships

Why it matters

This issue threatens the fundamental integrity of sports competition and corrupts the character-building values that athletics traditionally instill in young people. When gambling infiltrates sports at all levels, it transforms competition from a test of talent, teamwork, and character into a financial transaction. The normalization of betting through social media, apps, and commercial partnerships creates a generation that views sports as opportunities for profit rather than personal development. The addictive and destructive nature of gambling, combined with performance pressure on athletes, can destroy careers and lives while teaching youth that financial gain matters more than honor and integrity.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle