Finance Wiz Dave Ramsey Says Online Sports Betting a ‘Portal to Hell’ for Young Men
Posted on: January 8, 2026, 12:22h.
Last updated on: January 7, 2026, 01:34h.
- Dave Ramsey says the legalization of online sports betting has devastated young men
- Ramsey calls online sportsbooks “pure evil” and a “portal to hell”
- Ramsey critics say sports gambling is an individual’s choice, and some do win
Dave Ramsey is no fan of gambling or sports betting. He’s made that abundantly clear over the years when callers into his nationally syndicated financial advice radio show have sought help for dealing with loved ones or colleagues struggling with gambling addictions.
During a recent edition of “The Ramsey Show,” which has aired for more than three decades and is among the most listened to daily financial broadcasts in the US, Ramsey doubled down on his abhorrence of sports gambling. The financial advisor opined that sports betting, which was only legal in Nevada seven years ago, but today is regulated in 39 states and Washington, DC, is preying upon young men.
The fastest-growing addiction that is destroying young men in their 20s is online sports gambling. FanDuel is a portal to hell. DraftKings isn’t king of nothing except their own pocketbook,” Ramsey said.
“They’re screwing an entire generation of young men. That’s why they can afford to buy all of these ads,” Ramsey continued.
Sportsbook Foe
Sports betting is, of course, a business. And sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel don’t spend many millions of dollars each year marketing their sports gambling operations and handing out free sign-up bonuses out of the goodness of their hearts, Ramsey said.
“There are back-to-back ads every time you turn on a sporting event. They’re spending billions of dollars. You know where they’re getting that? It’s out of your kid’s freaking pocket. This is evil stuff,” Ramsey declared.
Some viewers of his show commented that gambling, including sports betting, is an individual’s choice. Ramsey countered by opining that DraftKings and FanDuel are skilled at convincing young men how easy it is to win, when in reality they are almost guaranteed to lose.
“You don’t win,” Ramsey declared.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) reports that through 10 months of 2025, sports bettors lost $13 billion. That marked a 17.2% surge on the prior year.
Americans bet about $14 billion a month through legal, regulated sportsbooks. The handle doesn’t include illegal sports bets with offshore websites or local bookies, nor bets made on event contract platforms like Kalshi.
Sports Betting Participation
A 2025 study from the Research Institute at Siena University in New York concluded that half of all men aged 18 to 49 have an active online sports betting account. That data suggests that 22% of all American adults have an online wagering account, and more than half admitted to chasing a bet, or making another wager in hopes of winning back a loss.
The study found that 37% of bettors have felt ashamed after losing, and 20% have encountered troubles meeting financial obligations because of their betting.
Last Comment ( 1 )
This happened to my son, and he lives in his car. And he has since his early twenties, when he began gambling. Please warn your teenage son about the dangers of gambling, before the sport betting habit gets its hooks into him!