Is PrizePicks getting teens addicted to sports gambling?
By Cristopher D.
A new trend that is affecting students is using the sports betting site called “PrizePicks.”
PrizePicks, which was founded in 2015, is an online sports gambling site that you can get on the app store.
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court declared a 1992 law prohibiting sports betting unconstitutional, some states still don’t allow sports betting, according to CNN. Only 39 states have legalized sports gambling according to guide regulations.
According to Props.com, “Daily fantasy sports [DFS] sites aren’t explicitly legal in California, but the state also doesn’t restrict DFS operators from offering their services.”
Which means these apps operate in a legal gray area.
How it works is that you can make an account using your email and start playing.
Usually once you bet $5, PrizePicks gives you $50 for free to bet on any sport. You have to be 18 or over to start gambling on PrizePicks.
You can either bet higher or lower on the statistics of the player and depending on what you picked you can either win or lose.
Mr. Adrian Escobedo, a Physical Education teacher at CATS that plays PrizePicks, hasn’t really bet in a while but said he has spent around $150 on the app and has won around $160 to $170. He also said a student from CATS got him into PrizePicks.
He said teens are addicted to playing and they shouldn’t be allowed to play because they’re not legally allowed to play if they’re under 18 and it could affect them over time.
He said they should, “Call the gambling hotline. They should know that they’re going to get taxed 30 percent of any winnings they make, so maybe that will discourage them to stop playing.”
Daniel U., a senior, says he mostly bets on basketball and says teens are addicted and they should call the gambling hotline if they need help.
Daniel spends hundreds of dollars on PrizePicks and loses often, but still continues to play.
He said, “The last time I betted was today in the morning. I put $20 on it and I don’t know how it’s going to go. It depends. I spent $1,000 already and I haven’t won anything. I already lost about $900. I’m down to my last $100.”
Christopher M., a junior, says he mostly bets on basketball. At the moment of reporting, he said he had just made a bet and lost. He has spent $500 and made $100 profit. But he doesn’t think it’s an addiction.
“It’s not addiction. [People] can just stop betting if they’re trash,” he said. “But if they’re good, keep betting. Yeah, when you’re up, you’re up. You keep playing.”
If you are struggling with gambling or have an addiction with betting, call Phone: Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) to connect with a live, master’s-level counselor any time, day or night.
