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Nick Lehr, Arts + Culture Editor

A boon for sports fandom or a looming mental health crisis? 5 essential reads on the effects of legal sports betting

In a remarkable shift, pro sports leagues like the NFL have eagerly embraced gambling. michaelquirk/iStock via Getty Images

A lifelong sports fan, I grew up hearing tales of sports figures felled by gambling scandals – baseball stars “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Pete Rose, the 1978-79 Boston College basketball team and NBA referee Tim Donaghy.

Sports leagues wanted nothing to do with gambling, which they feared would taint the integrity of the game. They had lobbied heavily for the passage of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, also known as the Bradley Act, which banned sports betting in the U.S.

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