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Craig Carton accuses ESPN of creating guide to encourage children to gamble
Craig Carton said the guide uses cartoons and delays risk warnings, calling it an effort to draw in novice gamblers and children.
- On a recent episode of The Craig Carton Show, host Craig Carton criticized ESPN for releasing a betting guide in cartoon form, alleging it represents a "concerted effort to appeal to children" to start wagering.
- ESPN pivoted to partnering with DraftKings after its own sportsbook, ESPN Bet, shuttered in 2025 following failed performance. Carton characterized the move as desperate, stating "when you're desperate, you don't care about the viewing public."
- Carton compared the strategy to Juul, which paid over $1 billion in lawsuit settlements for marketing to children. He noted ESPN Bet captured just 3% of betting market share, well short of their 20% goal.
- The betting guide scrolls through about 10 slides before mentioning gambling dangers, raising questions about its effectiveness. Carton questioned whether someone in their 30s who has never gambled would be convinced by a cartoon to begin wagering.
- "ESPN is, next to The Trump Organization, probably the only organization in the history of mankind to be unsuccessful by running a gambling company," Carton stated, reflecting broader scrutiny of media outlets profiting from gambling partnerships.
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Former Gambling Addict Craig Carton Blasts ESPN For Cartoon-Like Sports Betting Guide He Claims Targets Children
Craig Carton almost had his life completely ruined when he was convicted of fraud in 2019 due to a severe gambling addiction. Luckily for him, when he got out of prison, he was still able to return to sports broadcasting. After his prison release in 2020, he hosted a weekly program called Hello, My Name […]
Craig Carton accuses ESPN of creating guide to encourage children to gamble
ESPN has fully embraced sports betting, and Craig Carton accuses the Worldwide Leader of attracting and grooming children to become future gamblers. ESPN recently published a rudimentary betting guide to teach prospective gamblers about point spreads, moneylines, and parlays. But Carton’s biggest issue with the guide is that it’s a cartoon, which makes it seem…
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left0Leaning Right2Center20Last UpdatedBias Distribution91% Center
Bias Distribution
- 91% of the sources are Center
91% Center
C 91%
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