Scandals, some changes in public perception highlighted the year for sports betting

AP Sports Writer

Sports bettors in the U.S. are expected to set another record in 2024 for the amount of money wagered legally. That coincides with what has been a year of reckoning for U.S. sports betting, which was rocked by scandals. The bad publicity included Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban from the NBA for trading on inside information to fix prop bets, and MLB star Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter pleading guilty to bank and tax fraud after prosecutors said he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off illegal gambling debts. That, along with an oversaturation of advertising and some low tax benefits in the 38 states that currently allow betting, has contributed to what one expert says is an ongoing moral reboot surrounding the public’s attitude about sports betting.