Prohibition Is Futile

Although accepting sports bets is illegal everywhere in the United States except Nevada, a 2003 ESPN survey found that 118 million Americans bet on sports each year. In 1999 the National Gambling Impact Study Commission reported that “estimates of the scope of illegal sports betting in the United States range anywhere from $80 billion to $380 billion annually.” Despite state and federal attempts to prevent online betting, myriad foreign-based websites continue to compete for the business of American gamblers.