Two-time Call of Duty world champion Jordan “Jkap” Kaplan has said he believes sports gambling is ruining a generation of young men. 

Kaplan said he was in favor of sports gambling before it was legalized, but has changed his stance after seeing how things have played out since the PASPA ruling that paved the way for legal sports betting in the US. 

He was crowned CoD world champion in 2015 and 2016, before the ruling in 2018. Now, 38 states have legal sports betting of some kind. 

FanDuel A Portal To Hell, Says Critic

Many states now offer online gambling, including on esports. DraftKings and FanDuel are the most popular platforms, with the two companies holding around 75% of the online gambling market. 

Kaplan shared a post on X showing author Dave Ramsey heavily criticizing the two operators. Ramsey stated, “FanDuel is a portal to hell. DraftKings ain’t king of nothing, except their own pocketbook, and they’re screwing an entire generation of young men.”

In response, Kaplan posted, “I was all for sports gambling being legalized a few years ago but after seeing it play out, I now fully agree with this.”

I was all for sports gambling being legalized a few years ago but after seeing it play out, I now fully agree with this. https://t.co/HAhX0DAATX

— Jordan Kaplan (@JKap415) January 6, 2026

The two-time CoD champion retired in 2020, but still analyses match-ups on his Twitch channel. Like Kaplan, Twitch has also taken an anti-gambling stance, banning any promotion of gambling on its platform. 

Esports Gambling Sponsors Divide Opinion

In the video, Ramsey criticized gambling companies for spending billions of dollars on advertising. He said there are “back to back to back to back to back ads every time you turn on a sporting event.”

In esports, Riot Games now allows teams to make sponsorship deals with gambling companies. Some have criticized the move, while others said it can benefit esports by providing more exposure and revenue. 

MIBR became the first Valorant team to sign a deal with a betting operator, announcing a partnership with 1xBet in November. 

The team defended the decision, saying that 1xBet is “an organized company with robust governance, clear processes, and protected by policies that put competitive integrity at the forefront.”

Betting Companies Can Help Drive Out Corruption

Proponents of legal sports betting argue that it diverts money away from the black market and safeguards the integrity of sports. 

Many gambling companies have partnered with the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC), vowing to tackle corruption and match-fixing. Stake became the latest company to sign up in November. 

ESIC said the collaboration “underscores a shared commitment to strengthening integrity frameworks and supporting fair competition across the esports ecosystem.”

Problem Gambling Decreasing Since COVID

Kaplan and Ramsey, however, argue that the cost of increasing the prominence of gambling is causing a rise in addiction among young men. 

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) released a survey last year showing that the number of Americans with gambling problems is decreasing.

The survey found that nearly 20 million American adults report experiencing at least one problematic gambling behavior “many times” in the past year. This represents a decrease from 27.5 million in 2021, but remains elevated compared to 2018, before sports betting was legalized in many states. 

The organization noted that sports betting participation has plateaued, holding steady at 23% of adults despite expansion. It noted these findings suggest that “legal access does not necessarily expand the market but may intensify risk for active participants.”