President Trump was spot-on a couple of weeks ago when he regrettably remarked that “the world, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a casino.” It is a topic he knows quite a bit about, having bankrupted three of his own casinos in Atlantic City in a remarkable one-year span 35 years ago.
The President’s sorrowful statement was a reaction to the arrest of an American soldier for allegedly winning $400,000 on a betting market using classified information regarding the early-January U.S. military maneuvers involving Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Any doubt about the accuracy of the President’s characterization is dispelled by the omnipresent sports gambling vehicles widely and shamelessly promoted on social media, television, and even by the announcers during the games themselves. Viewers are incessantly invited to post bets mid-game, wagering on each play as it progresses. This practice is on full display during the current NBA playoffs as the Timberwolves make their uphill post-season run; fans can now place bets more rapidly than the 24-second shot clock allows, often lured by “bonuses” that look suspiciously like free throws for first-time users.
The President’s “casino world” lamentation resonates with particular force here in Minneapolis, the breeding ground of modern sports gambling, as recounted in this publication late last year (“Minneapolis Was The Mecca Of Sports Betting,” Minneapolis Times, December 22, 2025).
Meanwhile, despite demands from many quarters, Minnesota has refused to join the bandwagon of states authorizing legalized gambling. The closest the state came was modest legislation approved by the legislature but surprisingly vetoed by Governor Mark Dayton near the end of his second term in 2018.
Prevailing Participation
Anyone who has watched the Timberwolves’ remarkable playoff surge has witnessed the non-stop exhortations to bet on every play. This prevalence comes on the heels of high-profile arrests and prosecutions involving card-game fixing schemes—including basketball player and coach Chauncey Billups. A Hall of Famer who spent two solid years here with the Timberwolves (2000–2002) before leading the Detroit Pistons to a championship, Billups was noted for his stellar defense. He will need it if his case goes to trial as scheduled this fall.
This institutional support for gambling is a real reversal of fortune. For decades, professional leagues and the college establishment fought betting to protect the “integrity of the game,” fearing a repeat of the infamous 1919 Black Sox scandal.
That opposition evaporated after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. NCAA, which eviscerated the federal law barring states from restricting sports betting. The decision didn’t just open the floodgates; it led sports authorities to become ebullient participants operating under the modified bromide: “If you can’t beat them, bet with them.”
White Wave
It made eminent economic sense for the leagues to wave the white flag. Gambling stimulates fan interest, which in turn boosts television ratings to record heights—as seen in the last Super Bowl. As ratings rise, so do advertising revenues, contributing mightily to the soaring salaries for players and administrators alike.
In this milieu, no one loses except most of the bettors. Even they don’t seem to mind, ignoring the perfunctory small-print warnings about gambling addiction—an affliction the industry would just as soon keep on the bench.
Administrative Angst
This gives President Trump an opportunity to challenge the status quo. He has shown the resolve to take on dogmas that his predecessors preferred to disregard—such as trying to fix the “mess” in college sports brought about by the Alston v. NCAA ruling, which gave birth to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) movement.
The President could address this gambling angst by directing agencies like the FTC and FCC to exercise their rule-making authorities to rein in these forces. A potential model is the restriction on tobacco advertisements signed by President Richard Nixon 55 years ago.
The Department of Health and Human Services could also get in the game. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could launch protocols addressing the addictive effects of sports gaming, perhaps taking some resources away from his more controversial anti-scientific pet projects regarding vaccinations and water fluoridation.
However, strong, well-financed forces—armed with high-placed lobbyists and First Amendment protections—impede any regulatory restraints. A well-orchestrated full-court press is needed to change this “casino” culture.
Don’t bet on it.
