The study found the ads are inescapable in modern culture, whether people want to take part or not. Jimmy Sanderson, an associate professor at Texas Tech, says the industry knows what it's doing. "They have a captive audience," Sanderson said. "Sports is still one of the very few things that we have to watch live."
The push keeps growing. Major League Baseball partners with prediction market company Polymarket to show live odds on games and outcomes, and other companies are taking notice. Sanderson calls it a revenue driver for sports organizations, which he says do "a delicate dance," telling athletes not to do certain things while pointing them toward DraftKings.
Athletes add weight. Sanderson says if someone is on the fence about a bet, a high-profile name could be the deciding factor. Many people have viewed the push as sketchy at best and unethical at worst.
Sanderson's example is Derek Jeter, a role model whose pitch carries the message "if he says it's okay, it must be okay for me."