Live prop bets involve situations which happen during a game — many different situations.
Psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Thomas warns that a new type of betting is particularly dangerous. Dr. Thomas, who works out of the Menninger Clinic in Houston, claims the live prop bets are attracting online gamblers, but prop bets pose a threat to problem gamblers.
This new form of betting allows players to make many wagers with their smartphone or desktop computer on one sporting event. These in-game wagers provide many wagering opportunities, where only a few per event were offered in earlier generations.
Live In-Play Betting Explained
Dr. Patrick Thomas recently spoke to Click2Houston, the online publication portal for KRIV Fox 26 Houston Live program. Dr. Thomas said, “You give them the opportunity to bet on whether the song that’s sung for a game is rock and roll or R&B, essentially that lowers any kind of thought that goes into (it) or reflection about, ‘Well, do I really want to bet on this, or use this that way,’ and will increase the risks.”
Traditional Sports Bets
Prop bets have been offered by online and offline sportsbooks for a long time. What is different about the new wave of prop bets is the rapidity and ease with which they are made. “Live prop bets” allow a gambler to bet on an in-game event happening, whether it’s a touchdown, goal, or scored run.
These bets go beyond mere scoring, though. A live prop bet can be made on who sings the National Anthem or who the next player that goes to the penalty box might be. Name any event in a race or sporting event and it has a chance of becoming a live prop bet.
US Bans on Sports Betting
Brick-and-mortar sports betting is illegal in 46 states. Only Nevada has fully legal sports betting, while Montana, Oregon, and Delaware allow gamblers to bet on sports lotteries, which are similar to parlay betting in horse racing. Under the 1992 PASPA law, all other forms of land-based sports betting is illegal under federal law.
Under provisions of the 1961 Wire Act and the 2006 UIGEA, all forms of online sports betting is illegal. Those who help to process payments from such gaming are targeted, meaning no legitimate credit card company handles withdrawals to US-based players — though they might allow deposits, since that happens before a bet is placed.
Illegal Online Sports Betting
Despite the ban, many US sports bettors engage in rampant gambling online. This is done through offshore betting sites, which are beyond the reach of US federal authorities. Illegal bookmakers called bookies also take wagers, so that 97% of all sports betting revenues in the United States each year is done illegally. For that reason, many gaming advocates hope to one day legalize sports betting at the federal level.
Rand Mintzer, a Houston-based criminal law attorney, said that most forms of online sports gaming is illegal in Texas, if any kind of money changes hands. When asked about the legality of sports gaming activity, Mintzer said, “If you are receiving some type of benefit when you win besides just kind of fantasy points, yes, it is.”
Even in countries where sports betting is legal, licensed, regulated, and taxed, live prop bets are controversial. In the United Kingdom and Australia, this type of betting is known as “live in-play bets” or “click to call” betting. It is popular and widespread, because it allows gamblers to make many wagers per game. In the past, a gambler might make a bet on the winner and a bet on the over/under, but few other bets were available.
Live In-Play Betting in Australia
In Australia, national officials have sought a ban on in-play betting. The Australian media has highlighted how Aboriginal communities have been ravaged by live sports bets on smartphones, which are often shared among family members. In that situation, even underage children might engage in sports betting.
The problem is not as great in the United Kingdom, because of the betting habits and preferences of residents. In the United States, sports gamblers are not likely to wager on the same device their children use, but live in-play betting is still an issue.
Houston Gambler Affected by Live Prop Bets
A problem gambler identifid only as “Hugh” spoke with KPRC in Houston. Hugh said the live prop bets cost him money, as well as time on the job. Unable to control himself, the new form of betting wrought havoc on Hugh’s life and lifestyle.
Hugh said to the reporter, “It’s almost like it’s the next tier. It’s just the next thing. It just takes over so much of their life. When I was in the midst of my gambling, it wasn’t all the lost money. It was the lost time. How much does gambling take away from your job.“
