Zac Oseran '28
The graphic displays popular gambling sites that are becoming more prominent in Brophy students’ devices.
As sports betting becomes increasingly normalized in society, its influence has begun to appear among Brophy students. With nearly half the student body participating in weekly NFL Pick ’Ems, the activity reflects how betting-style mechanics have become familiar and socially accepted, even in school-sponsored settings.
As accessibility to sports betting grows, so does underage participation. Despite betting low stakes of money, this can soon form into an addiction.
One example of sports betting culture appearing at Brophy is the school’s weekly NFL Pick ’Ems. The game allows students to select winners of professional football matchups for a chance to earn prizes. Designed to be quick and low-stakes, Pick ’Ems removes direct monetary risk while still introducing core elements of sports betting.
“We wanted to keep it simple and clean to get more people to participate”, Fabricant explained.
As harmless as Pick ’Ems may seem, its popularity reflects a growing appeal of sports betting.
The appeal is a new, interesting way to watch games, not just for entertainment but also for the potential to win. “It’s gone to the point where if you just watch sports, you’re doing it wrong,” said Mr. Tony Oldani, economics teacher and adult supervisor of the Brophy Pick ‘Ems event.
Sports gambling is specifically designed to hook users into addiction. The designers of the betting manipulate dopamine spikes, keeping users coming back. They are “taking a kid who has an addictive and compulsive personality…and putting something in their lap that could make them pursue this in an unhealthy way,” said Mr. Oldani.
The sports-betting appeal has become widespread and increasingly normalized. Mr. Oldani noted how the constant advertisements of the companies promoted the growth, saying, “You can’t watch a sporting event right now without seeing at least three different [sports betting] companies advertising.”
However, sports betting addictions may not be immediately obvious. The low stakes make this seem simple, akin to a video game. Student organizer of the Pick ’Ems Charlie Fabricant ’27 elaborated, stating, “People don’t realize they’re addicted, and that’s the hardest part.”
Betting a dollar here or there might make it interesting to watch the games, but what happens when that money stacks up?
“I worry about, if we treat it like a video game, will kids be able to understand that at some point those are real dollars that need to buy groceries or pay rent?” said Mr. Oldani.
However, what responsibility does a school have when something fun overlaps with addiction?