The year 2025 will go down in history as the year sports betting became scandalized. Not that that didn't happen before, because it did, but this year upped the ante on so many levels.

First, it began with Chanuncy Billups and Terry Rozier of the NBA, who were indicted on federal charges of illegal gambling practices. Then, MLB was hit when revelations emerged that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luiz Ortiz were indicted on similar charges.

As a result, discussions about the side effects of excessive sports betting have arisen. Now, it is likely that regulations will be coming in the new year, according to Pablo Torre Finds Out.

According to Torre, Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is proposing federal legislation to provide oversight over the phenomenon of sports prop betting.

Prop betting is when a wager is place on a specifc event or an individual performance. In other words, determining whether an NBA player score over or under 20 points or if an MLB pitcher accumulates a certain amount of strikeouts.

It also provides another dimension of anticipation during the game as opposed to the outcome.

The evolution of sports betting since the Supreme Court decision. 

In 2018, the Supreme Court decision Murphy v. NCAA struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Therefore, empowering states to implement their own set of sports betting laws and regulations.

As a result, wagers on sporting events have dramatically increased. From 2017 to 2023, wagers increased from $4.9 billion to $123 billion.

Also, sports betting outlets such as FanDuel and DraftKings have exploded in popularity, marketing, and usage. Professional leagues and networks such as ESPN have established formal partnerships with both.

At the same time, the increased usage of sports betting has led to increased levels of gambling addiction as well as increased scruitny about the integry of sports.