Summary
39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have legal sports betting markets. Dozens of professional and collegiate athletes and coaches have been suspended or fired for gambling violations. California and Texas, the two largest states, have yet to legalize sports betting. The U.S. market has plenty of room for growth. How big the American betting market gets is anyone's guess. Calvin Ridley was suspended for at least the entirety of the 2022 season. New York Jets' wide receiver coach Miles Austin was suspended in 2023. The UFC added stricter language about wagering in its fight code of conduct. Five NFL players were suspended for betting on NFL games. The NFL modified its gambling policies to make it so players who bet on their own teams would be punished more harshly. Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been accused of bank fraud. Kayshon Boutte allegedly used an alias to get around the age requirement for placing bets in Louisiana. Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, amid allegations of "massive theft" stemming from gambling debts.
