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ESPN reveals high stakes wagering on youth football games in Florida
by Les
While our mission as an organization focuses specifically on the failed government policy of predatory gambling, the recent ESPN segment revealing the high stakes betting taking place on Florida Youth Football games is one of the most disturbing news items I have seen. ESPN deserves much credit for drawing attention to this practice.
The youth football league is made up of 30,000 children ages 5 to 15 from Palm Beach to Miami. In the packed crowds, OTL producers saw men holding stacks of bills — often in large denominations — as they watched the games. Using hidden cameras, OTL recorded the men openly exchanging money with one another. But the exchange of money in the stands was the small stuff, OTL found — sometimes the games had tens of thousands of dollars bet on them, and players were often paid for making big plays.
The government policy of casinos and lotteries has helped foster a culture in which these practices take place- yet another example of how the policy has failed. Watch the report video below:
It's sick
My son plays youth football but thankfully not in Florida. I don’t think anyone bets on the games. To know this is happening in other parts of the country to little kids fills me with deep sadness and I hope ESPN and law enforcement will help set things right.