When I decided to start writing “The Not So Great Debate,” I knew that my new column would be not just a fun exercise in combative sports discourse, but also a fascinating chess match between Daily Trojan Editor in Chief Stefano Fendrich and myself. 

So far, Fendrich seems more than a bit frightened to fully commit and get into the ring with a true take-smith such as myself. He’s not-so-slyly shown his hand in a few ways. First, he just completely flaked out on his column, going nearly a month without publishing an edition. And look — I get it. It must be hard to brainstorm ideas when you are constantly looking over your shoulder, wondering how you will be outfoxed on any potential topic.

So now that he has finally managed to scribble a few words together, it is clear Fendrich has a new tactic: seeking to box me into a corner with the safest stances he can muster. He has traded predicting title runs and putting coaches on the hot seat for, in this case, the piping hot take of ‘teenagers getting lured into sports gambling and losing money is bad.’ What’s next, pal? Mosquitoes are annoying? Dogs shouldn’t be kicked?

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But, hey. Fendrich may have decided the only way to win one of these is to force me to argue a position I don’t believe in, but luckily, the genius of this column is that it’s never going to happen. If it comes out his mouth, best believe it’s wrong — or deeply misguided at the very least. 

This topic is no different. Fendrich’s recent losses on PrizePicks may have prompted him to take a stand against the big, bad gambling industry, but unfortunately, he’s missed on what should have been a slam dunk take due to a very surface-level understanding of the issue.

Fendrich is absolutely right about one thing: High-stakes gambling, especially among younger populations, needs to be regulated as much as possible. What remains unclear is just how big of a problem this is. A YouGov study in October 2024 found that of those who bet on football and basketball in the United States, 65% wager between $1 and $100 per month. According to the National Council on Problem Gaming, just two million adults each year fall under severe gambling criteria.

There is less data available to divide these numbers further by age group, but it is fair to assume that the younger a sports bettor is, the less money they are likely to be wagering on a regular basis. It is clear that many high school and college students are dipping their toes into the world of sports gambling, but they simply have less access to large amounts of money than their older counterparts. 

But for the small number of 18- to 20-year-olds who are interested in wagering exorbitant amounts, apps such as PrizePicks have mandatory monthly deposit limits in place. These caps are a bit high, and hopefully, they will be lowered further, but it is nice to see that there is infrastructure in place to prevent young people from making a mistake they can’t reverse.

So, we’ve established this: The majority of young people who sports gamble are not exactly putting their life savings on the line, but for those who are seeking to take extraordinary risks, there are some and should be further, roadblocks in place. Despite Fendrich’s attempt to turn me into General Counsel of FanDuel, I think we can all agree on that. 

This is where the discussion we had in the previous editions of our dueling columns comes into play. While Fendrich may not care if anyone watches the NBA or not, I do. I am worried about declining viewership and distressed by the idea that the next generation of sports fans may never know the joy of watching a random regular-season basketball game on a Tuesday night. 

With that in mind, sports gambling, in small doses, may be a necessary evil. The 2023 NCAA report that Fendrich cited notes the dangers of betting but also points out why the growth of the industry is so appealing to those who care about the future of sports. 

“Sports betting has increased interest in sports of all kinds, including college sports, which is great for our fans, but the NCAA and everyone from coaches to athletics department staff and college presidents must better understand what impact sports betting may have on student-athletes,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker. 

There are numbers to back this up. According to a CRG Global report, 67% of sports gamblers watch the NFL more than usual when betting on games, and 57% say the same is true for the NBA. Of those aged 26-40, 30% became a fan of a new team from betting, and 49% of gamblers 18+ continue to watch a blowout game when they have placed a bet — a number that drops to 29% when viewers have not wagered on the game. 

In this sense, sports gambling has shown the ability to function similarly to fantasy football — putting money at risk, but also driving viewership while serving as a social way for people to engage with sports alongside their friends. 

But the second part of Baker’s statement is crucial, and reflects my biggest concern about sports gambling — one I was shocked to see Fendrich not bother to mention in his piece. He spent plenty of time complaining about sportsbooks sending too many emails — so do shoe stores and political campaigns, delete ‘em — but didn’t say a word about the industry’s impact on athletes.

Sports gambling has led to a huge rise in abuse directed toward athletes, particularly on social media — where competitors can often find racismt abuse, sexismt abuse and even death threats from angry bettors after games. 

“Yo no big deal but if you don’t get 22 points and 12 boards everyone you know and love will be dead,” read a message sent to a men’s basketball player before a tournament game shared by the NCAA.

While it is clear there are some young people really suffering as a result of sports gambling addiction, the increase in abuse directed toward athletes, especially student-athletes, is the more widespread and pressing issue. 

There is a path forward for sports gambling, especially with limits such as monthly deposit caps 

in place. But as the industry continues to grow, hopefully, the NCAA and professional leagues can partner with social media platforms to ensure there are repercussions for those who subject athletes to ignorant abuse just because they lose a prop bet.

Henry Mode is a sophomore opposing the takes offered in Editor in Chief Stefano Fendrich’s column “The Great Debate.” Mode’s column, “The Not So Great Debate,” typically runs every other Monday, and he is a sports editor at the Daily Trojan.