Legalization of sports betting in Ky. causing concerns among some

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Sports gambling officially became legal Thursday, with many celebrating the new law.

Although many Kentuckians have started placing their bets, some people are worried for the well-being of the state after sports betting legalization. David Walls, the executive director of the Family Foundation says he’s worried for the future of Kentucky, the integrity of sports and people getting sucked into an addiction.

“Anytime you have an expansion of predatory gambling, it’s a lose-lose. So we really do believe this is gonna be a lose-lose for Kentuckians and Kentucky,” Walls said.

Walls says he worries also for children, who are now experiencing this aspect of sports at such a young age.

“I think we’re gonna be changing how children view sports. You know, we have grown up in a society that has tried to say gambling shouldn’t be a part of sports. Now we’re telling children the exact opposite that profiting off of sports betting is a foundational part of sports and I think we’re gonna see impacts on that as we move forward that are gonna harm the integrity of sports,” Walls said.

Not only does Walls say it will harm the integrity of sports, but also the people of Kentucky. He says it will further the harms of addiction and put people in a vulnerable place.

“We’re already in a society that’s dealing with a lot of addiction issues on a host of fronts. We know gambling is highly addictive, so much so that when they pass these kinds of programs they automatically have to start funding new programs to deal with the underlying problems that gambling causes,” he said.

Walls believes the social costs of gambling will outweigh the profit that Kentucky gains from this new legislation.

He hopes that the government will re-evaluate at a later time in order to reduce harm if it becomes a large issue.