Sportsbooks aren’t just after sports fans — they’re after our sons
As a mom of two sons in their early twenties, I think a lot about how to help them invest in their future, especially in a world where gambling is woven into their lives. What really worries me is how betting apps and odds are now popping up right alongside “real” investing content in some legitimate brokerage feeds, blurring the line between a game and a financial plan. For those of us who care about the young men in our lives, this isn’t about judgment, it’s about helping them keep entertainment in its place and make thoughtful, long-term choices with the money that’s meant to carry them forward.
If you have a young man in your life who you care about, please read this article written by Paul Means. He draws a sharp line between sports betting and real investing, especially in a world where apps make both feel like the same “game.” He explains that sports betting is gambling: high risk, low control, short-term, and designed so that, over time, the house wins. Investing, by contrast, is about strategy: diversifying, aligning with your goals, using time and compounding to your advantage. Means illustrates how even something like $150 a month, if invested with a 6% return, could potentially grow to over $100,000 in 25 years, while that same money lost to betting just…disappears into someone else’s balance sheet.
He also digs into behavior and mindset: gambling feeds on emotion, impulse, and the need for instant gratification, while investing rewards intention, planning, discipline, and the willingness to wait. Sports betting is framed as a game, a quick thrill, but not a path to financial security. Investing, while never risk-free, is presented as a much more reliable way to pursue long-term goals. backed by the historical strength of diversified markets like the S&P 500 and by research showing that gambling has a negative expected return over time. In short: one is entertainment, the other is a tool for building a future.
That’s exactly why parents of young men ages 14 to 34 need to talk to their sons about this now. This is the age group being targeted aggressively by sportsbooks and trading apps, and many of the young adults are just forming their beliefs about money, risk, and “making it.” Helping them see the difference between a fun bet on the game and a dangerous strategy for income—and between chasing losses and patiently investing for their future—can change the trajectory of their financial lives.
The real message to a son is: don’t bet against yourself. Learn how money actually grows, use time and discipline as your unfair advantage, and keep gambling in the “game” category, not the “future” category.