Cincinnati City Councilman Scotty Johnson came out against the rise of peewee football betting in a joint meeting between Cincinnati Public Schools and City Council on Wednesday.
The spread of illegal bets on youth sports has fueled a flurry of violence, including theft, vandalism, and gun crime.
“Stop betting on our children,” Johnson pleaded. “It’s really up to the people attending those games to not make our children objects.”
He mentioned that problems were occurring due to “the ridiculous amount of money that’s being bet on these youth games.” The former police officer said bets as big as $5,000 were being placed.
Peewee football betting
Betting on youth sports is illegal across the US, and some states also prohibit betting on in-state college teams. Ohio legalized sports betting in 2023 and allows betting on professional and college sports, but draws the line at high school gambling.
Alternative betting sites that operate with offshore licenses, or crypto betting sites may offer more markets that are not legal in the US.
On some crypto betting sites, users can also create their own markets and trade predictions. Many of these sites are restricted in the US, but players may use VPNs to access them.
Illegal betting increasing security costs
In this case, Johnson did not give any specific examples of illegal peewee football betting and said it does not appear to be a widespread trend. Cincinnati Public Schools Athletic Director Josh Hardin did, however, say it was enough of a problem to add to security costs.
Hardin said that police were now charging overtime rates, which has increased security costs by 75%. Now, if youth leagues wish to follow recommended security guidelines, they have to pay as much as $550 an hour. This cost includes rental fees, police details, and other staff.
Hardin is part of a new youth sports collaborative that aims to tackle the issues of illegal betting and violence. The collaborative works with the city and police to implement measures to counteract the problems and offset rising costs.
Cincinnati police union president Ken Kober also said the violence at elementary school events has revolved around gambling for years.
“You wonder why these kids are violent, it’s because their parents perpetuate it,” Kober said. “It’s time that adults actually act like adults.”
With more ways than ever to place bets online, peewee football betting may continue to be an issue. Investigations have found that amateur sports betting is relentless from unlicensed operators.
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