A Modest Proposal to Rein in Sports Gambling

Joshua Sohn suggests that Congress mandate that sportsbooks treat all customers on equal terms to reduce the impact of online sports gambling. Writing for Public Discourse, Sohn argues that the industry currently harms young men and drains finances, yet politicians avoid crackdowns to avoid upsetting voters.

Sohn proposes that requiring non-discrimination would force sportsbooks to stop limiting bets from savvy gamblers. He notes that companies currently restrict large bets from skilled individuals, such as statistician Nate Silver, to avoid heavy losses from those who can identify inefficient betting lines. Under a mandate for equal treatment, Sohn claims sportsbooks might scale back operations or close entirely because they could no longer avoid losses from expert bettors.