Sports Analyst Sparks Outcry After Letting 11-Year-Old Use Free-to-Play Betting App
Veteran sports business analyst Darren Rovell has drawn intense criticism after saying he helped his 11-year-old son use a free-to-play sports-wagering app as a learning exercise.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Rovell, a long-time commentator on sports media and business, said he set up his child on a social betting app and monitors his picks, describing the move as an opportunity to teach responsible behavior around betting. His public disclosure this week sparked rapid backlash across social platforms, with parents, advocates and clinicians arguing that simulated wagering still normalizes gambling for minors and risks paving the way to later harm.
Related: EU Survey Warns of Rising Youth Gambling and Online Betting Among Boys
Public Reaction and Industry Response
The response ranged from sharp condemnation to defensive industry statements. Many online commenters dismissed the distinction between virtual and real money, saying exposure to odds, wagering mechanics and the emotional highs and lows of wins and losses can be formative in pre-teen years. Opponents compared the step to allowing children to practice other adult vices in a so-called safer format.
Stadium Live, the app cited by critics, and its CEO Kevin Kim defended the product as a social, free-to-play game rather than a gambling platform. Kim said the company does not enable real-money wagers and that simulated apps are ubiquitous within modern sports fandom, reinforced by advertising, broadcast segments and sponsorships that normalize betting language and behavior. "Stadium Live is a free-to-play social game, not a gambling product", Kim said in a statement. "We believe education and transparency are crucial, and parents should be involved in how children engage with sports content."
Still, a screenshot shared in the exchange – reportedly from the app – showing crude humor linked to an NBA player intensified concerns about suitability for young users. Critics noted that the tone and subject matter of some social betting interfaces mirror adult spaces and can include language or jokes inappropriate for children.
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Research, Regulation and What Experts Recommend
Public-health researchers and gambling-harm specialists warn that even non-monetary betting can become a gateway to higher-risk activity. Data compiled by regional problem-gambling organizations in recent years indicate increasing rates of informal betting among adolescents, particularly boys; surveys in states including New York have pointed to a large proportion of high-school students reporting some form of betting at least once annually.
"Simulated betting still teaches the mechanics and emotional rewards of gambling", said a child psychologist who asked to be identified only by their profession. "Young adolescents are particularly prone to illusions of control and risk-taking; exposing them to structured odds and competitive wagering can normalize those behaviors long before they encounter real money."
Experts emphasize that the proliferation of sports-betting marketing across broadcast, digital and social channels has shifted norms around wagering. Regulators in jurisdictions such as the UK, several U.S. states and parts of Europe are increasingly scrutinizing how free-to-play games are marketed and whether access controls are sufficient to prevent underage participation. Some advocacy groups are urging platforms to implement stricter age verification, clearer labeling, and parental-consent tools that default to blocking gambling-like mechanics for minors.
For parents and caregivers, clinical specialists recommend open conversations about probability, house edge and the potential harms of gambling, while limiting exposure to betting talk and apps. "Education that contextualizes risk is important, but prevention requires adults to set clear boundaries and reduce normalized exposure", the psychologist added.
Rovell’s public post reopened a broader debate about how sports culture, media and technology intersect to shape youth attitudes toward gambling. As free-to-play formats and micro-engagements continue to multiply, regulators, child-health advocates and industry stakeholders are likely to revisit whether existing safeguards adequately protect minors from early normalization of wagering behaviors.
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