Booming US gambling industry a 'highway without speed limits', top regulator warns

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sun 8 Jun 2025 06.00 EDT
Last modified on Sun 8 Jun 2025 06.01 EDT


The US gambling industry has become a “highway without speed limits”, according to a top state regulator, as the nationwide gambling boom continues at pace. Jordan Maynard, chair of the Massachusetts gaming commission, urged lawmakers in Washington to consider nationwide rules on advertising by betting firms. Operators have spent years lobbying against a federal crackdown.

Nationwide exclusion lists, blocking gamblers who encounter problems like addiction from placing a bet anywhere in the country, are also “ripe for a federal conversation”, Maynard said in an interview with the Guardian. Like most gambling policies, such lists are currently state-focused, and often easily circumventable by crossing state lines.

Maynard joined Massachusetts’s gambling commission in August 2022, the same month sports betting was legalized in the state, and became the regulator’s interim chair last spring. A permanent appointment followed in the fall. His relationship with operators has, at times, been strained. “When I think about the industry right now, I see a highway without speed limits, cars without seatbelt dingers,” he said. “Regulators are who put the seatbelt dingers in. I don’t think the car manufacturers just woke up one day and decided to annoy whoever’s driving the car until they put their seatbelt on.

“And so I think that’s the perfect place for a regulator to be: to come in and say, you know, we’re not going to prevent every crash that could happen, right? But what we’re going to do is make sure that people are educated in what they’re doing; that they’re trained up to a certain standard before they ever do it; make sure that those who seek to benefit economically from this industry are held to high standards.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/08/gambling-industry-us-regulator

[wolfie001]

1. Now, Americans are losing their hard-earned $ from the comfort of their homes

Too easy. I've never bet for $ and I never will. Couldn't fit that stupidity in my budget anyways

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Yes, it's easy. Download the app, link to your retirement accounts, prepare for riches.

What could go wrong?

[DENVERPOPS]

3. exponentially worse than

lotto and lottery...........

And quite possibly, opening up the door to athletes and referees "throwing games" to get paid off by Vegas and on-line betting corporations?????........
It has already happened, even before the on-line betting was legal, and was covered up by the Major League.......

Even if these Players and Ref's don't "throw" the game, they can shave points to control the score..........

A zillion years ago when I was growing up, we all knew that prize fighting was rigged...........but for the last 20+30 years I have been seeing professional sports becoming more suspect also........The more money involved, the worse it gets.......

[wolfie001]

5. Witha 34 time felon in the WH, don't expect any integrity forthcoming

All grifting and downright thieving by those gambling entities with no repercussions. I recommend keeping the boycott going. Only shop Union and only necessities. Cold War started on Jan. 20th.

[LiberalLovinLug]

4. Its almost always a losing bet. That's how gambling co. make their money. So simple but just ignored by so many

The house always wins. In the end. Anyone can get addicted to it. Small wins "prove" you can win more. And any bigger win just confirms your habit is not hurting, but helping you. So you keep going.

My brother went bankrupt and lost his house. He and his wife rent a small apartment and always will be renters now. Its an awful scourge on society. We have top athletes in commercials promoting this social disease.

But you know.....freedom! (for gambling companies)

[DENVERPOPS]

6. Wayne Gretzky lost a great deal of followers

a couple of years ago when he started doing commercials during the Stanley Cup for some Las Vegas? betting corporation???????.

The man was reportedly worth hundreds of millions already...........when is enough, enough????????????

One of the Great Legends, and he lost countless fans for that adventure......

[jmowreader]

7. How will this exclusion list work with online gambling?

Imagine that you have a gambling addict named Susan Smith - totally random name. Susan has two sisters who are married, a brother who’s married, two parents and a dozen extended family, none of whom, gamble. What’s going to prevent Susan from “borrowing” their IDs and making new accounts to keep on playing?

[BumRushDaShow]

8. In your example

the account "owners" would be on the hook.

If anything, there will always been issue with "online" given the proliferation of anonymizers and VPNs.