Sports betting has proven disastrous for gambling addicts, says kinesiology professor Craig Greenham, and he sees little reason to think the industry will address its harms beyond ensuring it doesn’t infect the legitimacy of competition.

“Kids as young as eight-years-old are hooked and it’s only going to get worse,” Dr. Greenham writes in an analysis in the Conversation, which publishes news and views from the academic and research community.

“Anti-gambling advocates are pleading for the sports industry to re-think its approach to betting, but the practice has only become more pervasive and accessible,” says Greenham.

“In the end, sports leagues will protect the integrity of the game: there’s money in preserving the trust and loyalty of their audiences. But will these same leagues demonstrate the integrity necessary to reverse course and protect vulnerable members of society from developing a gambling addiction? There’s no money in that, so don’t bet on it.”

Read the entire article, “Professional sport commissioners are fighting to preserve league integrity amid gambling scandals.”