A Modest Proposal to Rein in Sports Gambling
October 19, 2026
It’s no secret that online sports gambling is a serious problem, draining the coffers and harming the prospects of young men. It’s also no secret that politicians are disinclined to crack down on it. No one wants to be a Puritan killjoy, and politicians are wary of antagonizing the millions of voters who engage in sports gambling. The result is a paralyzing stasis: the industry gets bigger and more harmful while our elected leaders seem helpless to do anything about it.
But what if there was a popular, populist, light-touch solution to this problem—a solution that reined in sports gambling while also striking a note of freedom and non-discrimination? As it turns out, there is. The solution is this: Congress should mandate that sportsbooks not discriminate and treat all customers on equal terms. The dirty little secret of sportsbooks is that they radically limit bets from those whom they know to be savvy gamblers, because savvy gamblers can spot inefficient betting lines and take the sportsbooks for big money over time.
