[I'm posting this in r/baseball because I'm only familiar with the baseball betting scene and I want to focus the conversation on the US/Canada.]

Problem

The only reporting on the negative effects of sports betting I've heard of from sports media in the last year was very indirect: the case against Mizuhara (Ohtani's former translator) stemming from his gambling addiction. That and legal disclaimers in ad reads.

Fixers and prediction markets (e.g. Polymarket) take the brunt of the media's ire while sportsbooks remain unscathed, which isn't surprising to me.

Almost every sports media outlet I can name, from ESPN to Pitching Ninja, is heavily dependent on sportsbook ad revenue and/or sponsorships. And apart from advertisements, sports betting forms a large section of major media outlets' output, making it an important driver of total ad revenue. It's also some of the least costly reporting and analysis to perform.

This media-subject codependence is no different than it is with the leagues, teams, players, and apparel companies, which form the foundation of sports revenue. But—and forgive me for stating the obvious—the media's relationship with sportsbooks is qualitatively different since so many people ruin their lives by gambling too much, not so many by buying too much apparel or attending too many games.

A Chilling Effect

The media's dependence on sports betting has a major effect on the narrative and collective consciousness around sports betting, namely a chilling effect on conducting negative reporting and investigations. And the chilling effect goes deeper. That reporting and analysis is less likely to make the rounds because it won't be the subject of as much media discussion, follow-on reporting, or retweeted/promulgated by nearly as many companies or individuals who want to ingratiate themselves to (or at least avoid the ire of) sportbook marketing departments (and their budgets).

Solution?

The solution to this issue with other legal addictions in America has been to substantially regulate that industry's advertisements. I don't see the groundswell of public opinion against sportsbooks rising to the level needed to enact such federal regulation any time soon.

Regulation wouldn't even address any of the ills of gambling addiction itself. But the best solutions require a free and open public discourse. Such discourse will likely remain muted if the sportsbooks have most media outlets, journalists, athletes, and other relevant public figures tied up in golden chains.

Besides regulation, what are the options? I'm at a complete loss so I'd love to hear partial solutions, however small.