Gambling! The word itself conjured the most ominous stories in sports. The Black Sox scandal that relegated Shoeless Joe Jackson and his teammates to the sidelines. The sad saga of Pete Rose banished from baseball for the crime of betting on his own team. NBA referee Tim Donaghy who used insider information, which he shared with other gamblers, to place bets on games he officiated, which resulted in two felony convictions and a prison sentence.
Why was sports gambling considered so abhorrent? First, it threatened the integrity of the games, the belief that the playing field should be fair and equal for all competitors, that the skill of the participants is the only thing that matters, and that the game is free from of outside influences like cheating, corruption, and, yes, gambling.
That is until now. In what seems like the blink of an eye, sports gambling has become not only acceptable, but glorified. In 2018 the US. Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting, which lead the major leagues to embrace partnerships with betting apps like FanDuel, Draft Kings, and BetMGM. Today, a little over 20 precent of the advertising during any given game is devoted to extolling the virtues of sports betting, where participants can wager 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from the comfort of their couch. And some of your favorite athletes appear in those ads— Lebron James, Rob Gronkowski, Connor McDavid and Steph Curry, among others—to encourage you to join in the fun. Responsibly, of course.
Why the massive switch? You can probably guess. The main reason, of course is, money. Billions of dollars in gambling revenue is taken in annually by professional and NCAA sports, but due in part to fragmented reporting and difficult to track illegal betting, actual numbers are hard to pinpoint. Note that in 2024 legal U.S. sports betting rose to a record $13.7 billion dollars.
But there might be another reason sports leagues are so enthralled with gambling. And it has to do with time. The coveted sports audience is 18 to 34-year-olds, younger Millennials and Gen Z, those who grew up on fast-paced interactive digital content who struggle to sit through an average game, which can last up to three-and-a-half hours. Perhaps, gambling makes the prospect of those long contests more appealing, especially when there are endless types of parlays and prop bets to hold their attention. It’s interesting to note that 18 to 24-year-olds are most likely to become addicted to gambling, so maybe the leagues are trying to lock in the next generation of fans by getting them hooked on something other than love of the game.
While some view sports gambling as a harmless distraction, there is a possibility that the games themselves might suffer should fans lose faith in their teams. As gambling scandals increase, which they surely will, it is quite possible the public trust in the games will erode. Then where will we be?
Wolf Catcher
Anne Montgomery
Historical Fiction
In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.
Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.
Praise for Wolf Catcher
“Blending archaeology and Native American mythology, “Wolf Catcher” by novelist Anne Montgomery is an original, exceptionally well written, and compelling work of historical fiction…” – Midwest Book Review
“The author’s ability to interweave the past and the present was masterful. The characters were complex and interesting, especially with the underlying theme of rethinking the history of worldly human migration … A real page turner and I am wondering when the movie is going to be made!” – Alicia Williams Goodreads
“The story is very well-paced, reaching a page-turning, action-packed climax to the end. This story has all the elements of a great suspense drama centered around a historical mystery.” – Heidi Slowinski Author
“I was deeply and thoroughly embroiled in this imaginative novel… (that) melds seamlessly much of fact with fiction. Totally recommended! “ – V. Williams Vine Voice
“What a journey! What a story! A truly epic tale that grabs you by a throat and moves your soul. Highly recommend for the readers of all age groups.” – Marina Sardarova Author
“Boy, didn’t this one grip me quickly and keep me glued to the pages! Loved the cliff-hanging chapter endings. Well researched, well-plotted and paced…Trust me, you’ll love it. Totally recommended and out now!” – Rosepoint Publishing
“Once again the author has created a beautiful story with a powerful message. She took a piece of history and brought it to life. I just can’t say enough good things about Wolf Catcher.” – Megan Salcido Wildwood Reads
Author Anne Montgomery 