Jemele Hill Calls Out The ‘Consequences’ Of Sports Betting Culture

Between nonstop adverts throughout screens to branded stadiums and crew jerseys, at this time’s sports activities panorama has made sports activities betting nearly not possible to disregard. With wagering now woven into practically each a part of the fan expertise, Jemele Hill is stepping into the conversation, elevating issues about what she views because the rising risks of an more and more normalized sports activities betting tradition.

The veteran sports activities commentator dives deep into the matter in VICE TV’s Out of Bounds: The Sports Betting Boom, the third installment of the Out of Bounds sequence that examines the altering panorama of contemporary sports activities and sports activities betting tradition. In the episode, Hill displays on her personal experiences with sports activities playing and explores how its speedy rise has altered the way in which followers and gamers interact with skilled sports activities.

“Once the Supreme Court made sports activities playing accessible all over the place, I feel now we have seen various scandals, playing scandals associated to sports activities throughout completely different sports activities,” Hill instructed BLACK ENTERPRISE.

The Jemele Hill is Unbothered host in contrast the speedy progress of sports activities betting to the tobacco business, noting how cigarettes as soon as grew to become deeply normalized by means of fixed promotion throughout standard tradition.

“I feel we have to assume very rigorously about the place and the way that is being normalized,” Hill defined. “You know, tobacco cigarettes grew to become cool as a result of film stars did it. Because, you realize, folks in motion pictures smoked, as a result of smoking appeared like one thing that was alluring and attractive and people sorts of issues.”

And so I feel we must be very clear and really cognizant of how that is being marketed, particularly to youthful folks, as a result of I feel that’s the place the actual hazard lies, you realize, younger folks having the ability to entry sports activities playing on their cellphone, you realize, once they flip 18. I’m unsure if that’s a good suggestion.”

In current years, a number of skilled athletes throughout main sports activities leagues have been caught up in gambling-related scandals, underscoring the dangers tied to the speedy growth of sports activities betting.

From gamers betting on video games to violations involving insider info and betting accounts, the rising variety of incidents displays how deeply betting has seeped into sports activities tradition and the way normalization could also be blurring moral strains for each gamers and followers alike, Hill says.

“I feel we’re simply going to should get accustomed to listening to about gamers betting on themselves, betting on their sport, betting on different sports activities, and operating into these conditions that was thought-about to be one thing that was a cardinal sin in sports activities,” she defined.

“Gambling on the sport, you realize, compromising your skilled integrity because it pertains to sports activities playing, you realize, was one thing that destroyed a participant’s profession. And so, however I feel now we’re within the age that playing has change into so normalized and so accepted that we’re going to be residing within the penalties of it.”

In Out of Bounds, Hill and different sports activities insiders look at the purpose at which fandom turns into dependancy by means of sports activities betting, and the way playing has seeped into the day by day lives of each followers and gamers, as mirrored in current headlines.

Hill says the development highlights a rising dehumanization of athletes themselves.

“It’s a typical blind spot, I feel most followers have, is that of their minds, the gamers aren’t actual folks to them. They are simply leisure vessels,” she defined. “And so due to that, I feel they’ve, their default mode is to dehumanize the gamers. And, you realize, they don’t perceive that, sure, a lot of them lead nice lives within the sense that they’ve cash, they’ve adulation, they’ve fame, however typically these issues come at a worth and a value.”

As a outstanding voice in sports activities media, Hill overtly acknowledges her experiences with sports activities playing however notes that she’s capable of maintain it in verify.

Still, she worries about how at this time’s betting-saturated tradition is shaping youthful sports activities followers, who’re rising up with playing woven into practically each a part of the sport.

“I’m not gonna be on a excessive horse and act like I’ve by no means gambled on sports activities. I do possibly a couple of times a 12 months, possibly,” Hill admitted. “But what you might be seeing is that youthful and youthful sports activities followers are, as a result of they’ve entry to this so early, that I feel, you realize, a nation, there’s gonna be a technology of sports activities playing addicts that just about have developed proper beneath our nostril.”

The writer and sports activities journalist factors to fan engagement platforms like Fantasy Football as clear examples of how betting tradition has reshaped the way in which followers expertise the NFL. What was as soon as a Sunday spent merely having fun with matchups between groups has change into an more and more high-stakes pursuit, with followers centered on particular person outcomes and potential payouts tied to their bets.

“Even although folks take a look at this harmlessly, I imply, let’s be trustworthy, fantasy soccer is de facto simply playing on the core of it,” Hill declared. “It will not be as intense as, say, prop betting, however you realize, I did fantasy soccer for some time, and I used to be even the lead commissioner a few occasions, and I noticed then the way it modifications the way you watch the sport since you change into a lot much less enthusiastic about like groups and extra enthusiastic about particular person gamers.”

“And you even run into uncomfortable conditions the place you’re rooting towards your personal crew since you need to win your fantasy recreation.”

With sports activities betting closely promoted in an period when youthful college-level athletes can revenue from their identify, picture, and likeness by means of NIL offers, Hill believes the moment calls for stronger oversight of sports activities playing.

She is emphasizing the necessity for safeguards to guard each younger followers and athletes navigating an more and more betting-driven sports activities tradition.

“I feel we must be acutely aware and never faux that we’re advertising one thing that’s, you realize, we’re not advertising one thing that’s gonna essentially be constructive over the course of time,” she mentioned. “There are loads of folks, I get it, that gamble responsibly, however I feel how interesting we’ve made this for younger folks is one thing that we actually must put in verify.”

Catch extra of Jemele Hill’s tackle the difficulty when Out of Bounds: The Sports Betting Boom premieres on VICE TV Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET.

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