In 2018, the US Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, allowing states to legalize sports betting operations. Since then, 39 states, DC, and Puerto Rico have legalized the practice, with 31 localities allowing sports betting through mobile devices.
Now, millions of Americans bet on sports; most do so digitally. Six years from the reversal of the federal ban in 2018, $450 billion has flowed through sports betting operations.
What does the emergent digital sports betting market look like? What do stakeholders–sportsbooks, lawmakers, problem gambling specialists, sports leagues–dis/agree on, and how do these dis/agreements shape the market? How do individual consumers engage with sports betting market, in comparison to stakeholder formulations?
I particularly focus on sports betting as a culturally defined emotional experience. I seek to understand how stakeholders promote appropriate emotional conduct through marketing, regulatory policy, and technical infrastructure and how bettors regulate their emotions during betting in everyday life. These questions of emotionality have material consequences, shaping numerous outcomes from addiction risk to tax revenue.
I am currently completing interviews with:
- Sports betting stakeholders, including: sportsbook operators, elected lawmakers, gambling regulatory officials, sports league members, and problem gambling support providers.
- Those who use legal, digital sports betting apps (such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, etc.) at least once a week.
Contact me (rfajardo@u.northwestern.edu) if you are interested in participating in this research or hearing more!
Ryan Fajardo 