Agree, it's kinda at the Wild West stage of growth now enabled with government approval somewhat similar to the market rush into canabis. It's something I'm mildly curious about because of prospective impact on so many levels beginning with risk of match or situational fixing like point shaving in sports to the broader sociological aspect and marketing efforts of the gambling industry (and even Vegas as a destination specifically) to re-position itself as leisure entertainment away from a historic vice.
I recently read some interesting studies by a prominent UK academic advising their government and EU on sports gambling trends and issues. Wish I could find them.
However here's a decent Wired article which compares and contracts the growing North America sports gambling market against the established UK market which appears to be starting to limit the scope and scale of gambling marketing within sports and placing stronger limits around the gamblers themselves to mitigate the steep downside of addiction. A good read if interested:
"But starting this fall, the UK’s Committee for Advertising Practice will
ban soccer stars, celebrities, and social media influencers from appearing in gambling adverts. (Most of the UK public supports a total ban on gambling advertisements,
a 2021 study found.)
A well-covered public backlash in the UK informs this scrutiny, including testimonies of figures who have suffered from gambling addiction,
like former Arsenal player Paul Merson, who has said it “sickens” him when he sees former players and managers in these ads. Meanwhile, in the US, Ben Affleck
appears in WynnBet ads alongside a host of celebs and sports figures like Shaquille O'Neal, striding through golden casinos with a smartphone in his hand.
The market for sponsorships is also diverging. Back in 2018, nearly 60 percent of clubs in England’s top two divisions had
gambling companies as shirt sponsors; the government is likely to
ban this practice by 2023. But in the US, explains Whyte, “sponsorships are something that firms and leagues and governments are putting all their effort behind.” In January 2021, the Washington Commanders became the first NFL team to
land its own sports betting license. Universities have signed deals with gambling companies that can
incentivize registrations among the student body. (Worries about match-fixing, when an amateur athlete can do something as simple as drop a pass and make someone thousands of dollars, are legitimate; the journalist and academic
Declan Hill has covered the problem in depth in Canada.)"
Anywho, stuck my nose into this thread and something I had given no thought about with context of the Oilers decision to add a corporate sponsorship jersey logo. But the broader context I think is worth some good, respectful dialogue about.