UNLV Study Shows Sports Betting Is Safer Than Alcohol Consumption

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas is running a study viewing the effects of sorts betting and other forms of online gambling has on individuals.
• Study shows that online gambling is safer than alcohol consumption, both financially and health-wise.
• The study was conducted for states still on the fence about regulating online gambling and sports betting.

LAS VEGAS – A study being run by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has shown the effects that online sports betting has on individuals and communities. The study is being conducted for states that have yet to commit to regulated online sports betting and gambling.

Through the research curated by the International Gaming Institute (IGI) at UNLV, it has been found that gambling does not share the extent of negative effects that other legal activities, such as consuming alcohol share.

The study is still ongoing, and the goal of the IGI is to have an in-depth view of the effects that sports betting and online gambling has on individuals and society as a whole.

The Effects Of Sports Betting

While state-regulated sports betting has slowly become one of the more accepted activities nationwide, there are still many states that are opposed to regulating sports betting in their legislation.

IGI’s study is looking to create some clarity for these states, hopefully reducing the worry of the effects of legalized sports betting.

The study will view the overall structure of the sports betting market in the US, with the goal of developing a strong set of guidelines for regulating.

The idea is that if there is a standard nationwide set of policies surrounding regulating sports betting, then it will be easier to make the activity safe for the player.

“Effective public policy is always best served by an evidence-based approach to its creation.,” said Alan Feldman, IGI member and chair member of the International Center for responsible Gaming. “In order to provide the necessary player protection as well as ensure a stable and well-regulated marketplace, policies should be based on sound research evidence rather than opinion or conjecture. It is our hope to contribute to the body of knowledge in this area so that the public can benefit from this activity and whatever harms may arise can be minimized to the greatest extent possible.”

The core reason why the study is being pushed so heavily right now is due to the coronavirus. The global shutdowns caused by COVID-19 has motivated nations to regulate sports betting in an attempt to regain some form of revenue.

The goal of the IGI study is to release their initial findings by the end of the month, with a more thorough investigation following the results of that coming at the end of the year.

Hopefully, the results of the study will bring legal sports betting to all 50 states law books.

News tags: Alan Feldman | Bo Bernhard | IGI | International Gaming Institute | Las Vegas | University of Nevada | UNLV