Some of the major North American sports have pretty much embraced gambling as a part of the culture, even partnering with some companies, as long as it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the game or what viewers see on the playing field.
Little League Baseball, whose World Series started this week in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, wants nothing to do with gambling, releasing a statement condemning the practice when it comes to their games and urging fans to place their bets elsewhere and stay away from their sport.
“While Little League International continues to monitor the complexity and ever-evolving world of sports betting, we feel strongly that there is no place for betting on Little League games or on any youth sports competition,” Little League Baseball said in a statement. “Little League is a trusted place where children are learning the fundamentals of the games and all the important life lessons that come with having fun, celebrating teamwork, and playing with integrity, and no one should be exploiting the success and failures of children playing the game they love for their own personal gain.”
No sportsbooks in the United States offer betting on the Little League World Series, but that doesn’t mean unregulated sportsbooks overseas or other gambling houses will heed calls to exclude the tournament from being wagered on.
The gambling site BetOnline.ag, based in Panama, has offered odds on the Little League World Series in each of the last four years.
‘The Little League World Series is an exciting tournament that our customers absolutely love to watch, and we get requests from them every year around this time to offer odds,’ BetOnline brand manager Dave Mason said in a statement. ‘This will probably be shocking to hear, but we’ll take more bets on these Little League games than we will on any professional tennis or soccer match over the next two weeks.’
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