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Commentary By Allison Schrager

What Are the Odds of Enjoying March Madness Now?

Culture Culture & Society

Even as many state and federal regulations discourage productive risk-taking, America is making it easier to bet on sports. 

Like many Americans, I love March Madness. I still consider the night of March 22, 1990, when my local college team won one of the greatest victories in NCAA basketball tournament history, one of the most exciting moments of my life. Of course, a strong emotional attachment to a particular team isn’t the only reason why people love March Madness: The money they have on the line adds an extra thrill. Part of the annual tradition is the office bracket pool — in the age of remote work, it’s one of the few things that brings colleagues together.

Now that gambling has taken a dark turn. Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision ending the prohibition on sports gambling in most states, March Madness betting has become easier and more accessible. As a result, more people are betting not against their coworkers, but through online gambling sites. In fact, per capita wagers on the NCAA tournament are expected to be larger than the Super Bowl this year.

Continue reading the entire piece here at Bloomberg Opinion (paywall)

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Allison Schrager is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. 

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images