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The Bonney Lake/Sumner Little Leaguers continue to represent Washington and the Northwest region today in the Little League World Series (LLWS). Washington would pay out $205 for every $100 bet should they upset Connecticut Tuesday.
They are hoping to slug their way through the losers’ bracket with the game being played ESPN at 4 p.m.
From MyNorthwest:
Washington fired from all cylinders in the Northwest regional tournament, scoring 43 runs in their three games ahead of the LLWS. Washington’s run production has cooled off since stepping on the historic Howard J. Lamade field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, having scored only six runs in their first two games.
Not everyone is thrilled with BetOnline continuing to take bets on the Little League World Series.
The Little League issued an official statement on its X account, saying that there is no place for betting on its games.
It also said that "no one should be exploiting" children for "their own personal gain.” Tweets were flying about the ESPN and sponsor dollars Little League receives, as well as the CEO's compensation, but that's a conversation for another day.
That prompted a response from BetOnline's long time brand manager Dave Mason.
We offer Little League World Series game lines and futures because there's a clear demand for it," BetOnline.ag Brand Manager Dave Mason said. "Our customers request these markets annually, and we've already seen thousands of bets on this year's tournament.
"We don't force it on our customers...heck, we don't even send out LLWS promotional material. These games captivate audiences on national TV every summer, and we simply provide an option for people who want to watch and wager on these remarkable athletes."
Mason recently tweeted that there has been more bets and money (handle) wagered on the majority of the LLWS games last week than on WNBA games. The same comparison was made about English Premier League soccer matches.
What's even more remarkable is that the wagering limits for the WNBA and EPL are 5-10x more than that of the Little League.
"The Little League World Series is very difficult to handicap so we have to keep limits very low," Mason said. "We generally lose money booking this tournament, so going into every season we're in the mindset of being happy to just break even."
As far as the statement issued by the league, Mason had this to say:
"We can understand that there are people within that organization who are opposed to gambling, that makes sense. But there are people within the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL who don't think people should gamble on their respective leagues, yet, it's still happening and it will continue to happen.
"For years, the NFL took an anti-gambling stance, but look at the league now...it embraces sports betting. Why does the NFL embrace gambling now and why did Adam Silver endorse gambling years ago...because they understand that gambling grows its product.
"We recognize that gambling is not for everyone, and throughout BetOnline's 25-year history we've prioritized responsible gaming. We're not forcing anyone to wager on these Little League games, and our platform is strictly for adults who choose to participate."
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
