Follow the money and the ban argues itself. Networks take gambling ad dollars, then the same networks' pregame shows quote the odds, a closed loop that turns the broadcast into a sportsbook commercial with kickoffs in between. Legal wagering handle hit roughly $120 billion in 2023, per the American Gaming Association, so the industry can afford to find customers without owning the family time slot. And the public pays twice: once in the ads, again in the addiction treatment and bankruptcies that tax-funded programs absorb. Ban the ads from live broadcasts, let the books advertise everywhere else adults actually choose to look, and keep the game a game.
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