Most likely, those who follow sports were not surprised when the recent news broke regarding the betting scandal of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who checked himself into a treatment program to address a gambling addiction a week ago.
While betting on sporting events has been around since sports themselves were established, the activity was largely done ‘behind the scenes, under the table’ with sports administration officials and teams condemning the process and administering ‘death sentences’ to those making wagers. Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose were banished from baseball, and countless others had their NCAA careers ruined for placing bets.
But as soon as the lords of professional sports realized that they could reel in big bucks from getting in bed with gambling outlets, all bets were off. It’s not just limited to professional sports. Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision legalizing sports gambling,, it is now legal in 39 states, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Gambling advertising and coverage, once taboo, are everywhere. ESPN, among other major media outlets, now features prediction markets as part of its regular advertising.
Sorsby, who placed thousands of online bets via gambling apps, is just the latest to get caught in the addictive behavior.
After spending two seasons at Indiana and the 2025 campaign at Cincinnati, where he completed 63% of his passes while throwing for 45 touchdowns, he became the most coveted player in the college football transfer portal. He selected the Red Raiders over a bevy of high-profile college programs, receiving $5-million for his services as Texas Tech sought to repeat as Big 12 champions and another College Football Playoff appearance.
NCAA studies estimate that 60% of college students have bet on sports at least once, giving credence that to the idea that Sorsby was doing nothing more than many others are doing. However, he is not a typical college student. He is really a professional athlete playing college football. While there is no indication that Sorsby placed bets on games he played, the public’s interest in college football requires confidence in the integrity of the games.
As indicated by its pursuit of Sorsby, Texas Tech has no equal in the Big 12 when it comes to its financial investment in its roster, recruiting, and transfers. The Red Raiders had a school-record nine NFL Draft picks in the recent NFL Draft and have replaced them with experienced, highly regarded transfers. This is the same school that made pitcher NiJaree Canady the first $1-million softball player in 2025.
The NCAA survey further indicated that 4% of students aged 18 to 22 place bets daily. Almost 6% reported losing more than $500 in a single day. While sports are the preferred vehicle for gambling among young people, other forms of betting or financial speculation are also on the rise.
The common denominator among all forms of betting is mobile phones, states Dr. James Sherer, a psychiatrist who treats addiction in New Jersey.
“You don’t have to go to a casino, you don’t have to go to a bank, you don’t need to carve out time on your schedule, you can do it at work, you can do it in the middle of the night. Sports betting allows for a constant stream of live, real-time wagers on events within a game, such as how many hits a baseball player will get, further engrossing the gambler.
“Because of the way advertising works these days, even if you are trying to avoid it, you are going to be served up more options and opportunities to re-engage in that behavior than if you were someone who never engaged in that behavior in the first place. The second you really start to struggle, you are set for continued issues down the line.”
Another study conducted by Evan Ozmat, a Ph.D. psychology student at Albany University, revealed the following:
“The majority of the gambling takes place on mobile phones, largely on sports betting apps. Served up to students through ubiquitous ads that offer promises of “free” bets and easy wins. These apps sink their hooks deep into the students, leading them to spend their financial aid money, lie to their parents, and ignore their studies so they keep playing. Students from low-income families are particularly vulnerable, as they lack the financial safety net to bounce back from losses.
“It almost feels like binge drinking or methamphetamines, where they are going on benders. They make bets and bets and bets and then wonder, ‘how the hell did I get there?’”
Sorsby and Texas Tech are just the latest to deal with gambling addiction. It’s no accident that Las Vegas always wins. Enjoy the games, but let the bettor beware!
