The high stakes of gambling

By Chad Cranshaw and Dominic Jackson Opinions Reporters Students discuss the impacts of gambling This part of the story is by Chad Cranshaw

Around the world, there are many sports, and in most places, there are places where you can legally gamble on these sports. 

Betting on sports can be fun but it's also addictive. Choosing where to bet on sports can be more nerve racking than choosing a team to bet on. Find an app you trust and spend your money wisely. If you ever find yourself losing control, call the gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700. Photo taken by Aiden Roop.

The things gambling does can impact choices in life. While this raises concerns, it can also be a form of enjoyment or excitement for people while gambling. People have started to gamble a lot more since it has been legalized in more states in the U.S., so now, even more Americans have been joining in on sports gambling.

"I enjoy it because I love the game of basketball, and it is fun to see if you will win or not. I also like the feeling when you win your parley. I made 250 dollars off 5 dollars," Josiah Mickens said. 

 Many teens have picked up sports betting more than 13% of the time worldwide. This can cause late gambling habits later on and cause them to focus on betting more than other things. 

"I feel like too much beating can affect someone as a person by making those who do it. I know a friend that doesn't even do his schoolwork and worries about betting instead." Lauren Glover said.

The thrill of winning makes it so much more fun, but the agony of defeat can hurt your motivation to win. Beginners often stumble upon learning the hard way. It's complicated; sports betting demands practice and strategies to win. 

"When I first started, I lost every single one I put in, but as I did it more and began researching players and stats more, I got a lot better at betting and winning a lot more," Jason Toles said.

Losing is a part of life, as you don't win all the time, but there are some things you can do to increase your chances of winning, such as being more resourceful with your materials, such as sites that show you player stats. 

"A piece of advice I would give someone new to betting is to do your research. Don't just go in and throw anything together; you're just going to waste your time and money," Jaden Mullings stated. 

People also bet on sports they know something about and even learn new sports to place bets on. Many new sports betting apps have come up, such as PrizePicks, Underdog, Fanduel, and DraftKings. 

"I think people should bet on something they know something about, like if you know baseball, only bet on baseball until you learn other sports," Keyshon James said. 

These can summarize what people think about sports betting as a quick walkthrough.

Betting, in general, can be high risk and high reward, but it can be enjoyable in some cases. Would you attempt to bet on a sport you enjoy?

Students and staff share opposing views on sports betting By Dominic Jackson

Opinions reporter

After years of sports betting, it is finally at its peak. More kids than adults are starting to bet on different sports, especially kids under 21 and younger and under 18 and younger. 

Staff and students had different opinions on the topic. Some think it's fun and bright, while others opposed to sports betting think people under age shouldn't be able to bet and that kids aren't learning the value of money. 

¨I feel like sports betting is fun but addicting. I think people between the ages 21 and under shouldnt be able to bet. I don't think that betting should be abused because it gets to a point where at that point if you keep losing, you're just wasting your money,¨ Officer Koller said. 

Officer Koller thinks that betting can be fun but shouldn't be allowed for young adults because they need to learn the value of money.

¨I like sports betting, and I'm pretty addicted to it. You should be able to bet between the ages of 18 and 21 and older because it's their money. If they wanna gamble it away, let them do that. I like sports like tennis, football, and college basketball,¨ Jayvien Peason said. 

Peason thinks sports betting should be allowed for people under 21 because it shouldn't be an issue if they want to bet. He personally thinks betting is tolerable and shouldn't be banned for people under age.

¨I think sports betting is appropriate for people between the ages 21 as well as 18 and under because if they wanna gamble their money, let them do that it's their loss. I personally bet every once in a while because I lose a lot so I don't like betting as much as I used too,¨ Trevon Williams said.

¨ I don't like sports betting. I think it's stupid, and you're just wasting your money because you don't know if the people you bet on are gonna win the money for you, and if they don't, you just continuously lose more and more money,¨ Karion Young said.