This bonus episode is a recording of the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM) webinar on the U.S. sports betting landscape, including 2025’s key events, future trends, and policy challenges, with a rockstar lineup.
Participants
David Sasaki (Host): Director of the Boys and Men online program at AIBM.
Jonathan Cohen (Moderator): Lead on sports betting work at AIBM; author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling.
Chris Grove (Panelist): Eilers and Krejcik Gaming.
Steve Ruddock (Panelist): Straight to the Point Consulting
Brianne Doura-Schawohl (Panelist): Campaign for Fair Gambling.
The American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM), in partnership with Arnold Ventures (which is supporting the project with a $2 million grant), has launched a new Sports Betting Policy Hub “to curate research, track policy as it develops, and connect experts working on the issue.”
From the press release, the AIBM Sports Policy Hub will work on:
Ongoing policy analysis: Monitoring industry and policy developments, aggregating data, and delivering practical, decision-ready insights.
Coordination and convening: Connecting researchers, advocates, industry representatives, and policy leaders, supporting aligned strategies, and reducing duplication of effort.
Public awareness and journalistic partnerships: Expanding public understanding of sports betting’s financial and social costs through journalism partnerships and sustained media engagement.
Show Notes & Timestamps
*I use AI to help create show notes.
(00:08:41 - 00:13:38): The panelists reflect on 2025’s standout story—the explosive rise of prediction markets, which triggered industry rifts, including the departure of major operators from the American Gaming Association (AGA). They also touch on federal influences, such as tax withholding changes and trade policies affecting tourism.
(00:13:38 - 00:18:24): Noting a relatively quiet regulatory year, the conversation shifts to market maturity, with punitive measures against sweepstakes and tax hikes on operators. Prediction markets are viewed as a way to fill gaps left by stalled state expansions.
(00:18:24 - 00:23:02): Looking ahead to 2026, the experts predict slow progress on legalization, spotlighting states like Hawaii, Georgia, and Minnesota for sports betting, and New Hampshire or Vermont for online casinos. Greater emphasis is expected on reforms and consumer protections, particularly in powerhouse markets like New York.
(00:23:02 - 00:34:17): A key contrast emerges between slowing regulated markets and the rapid growth of gambling-adjacent products like prediction markets, where incentives increasingly favor unregulated innovation.
(00:34:17 - 00:39:55): The debate on black markets underscores that solutions aren’t binary; instead, there’s a call for stronger enforcement and reforms over unchecked expansion, with nuanced policies needed to weigh harms against incentives.
(00:39:55 - 00:44:01): On prediction markets’ broader impact, the panel agrees major operators are treating their launches as serious business ventures, not mere placeholders, amid concerns about underage access and limited state oversight.
(00:44:01 - 01:00:37): In a rapid-fire segment, predictions cover states to watch (like Alaska and Vermont), market share trends, potential scandals, reforms, and a possible shift in media coverage toward specialized industry reporting.
(01:00:37 - 01:00:37): The Q&A focuses on youth gambling, reacting to a Common Sense Media report revealing high participation rates among 11-17-year-olds. Panelists advocate for improved literacy, data sharing, and technologies like biometrics to curb access, while discussing normalization through ads and games.
