Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Tells Sports Bettors to “Stop Gambling”

Dallas Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott is the latest professional athlete to warn of the dangers of gambling amid the rise of legal sports betting.

“I get when fans are upset. I get it,” Prescott said two days after a 33-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. “But then there are other cases… [when you] have to remember, he must’ve had his whole rent on that one. Once again, I give him grace, and I understand and say ‘Stop gambling.”

38 states (76%) have already legalized sports betting. The proliferating market has introduced many fans to an entirely new world, one that is only going to grow in the coming years.

Prescott was arguably the hottest quarterback in the league heading into his Week 11 contest against Carolina. He’d thrown for an average of 360.7 yards and racked up 12 total touchdowns over his last three games, two of which ended with his team scoring at least 43 points. 

The 30-year-old’s passing prop was set around 260.5 yards at most major sportsbooks ahead of the NFC clash in Charlotte. The Cowboys quickly jumped out to a 17-3 halftime lead but were in such great control of the game that they decided to shut down the passing attack and almost exclusively run the football to drain the clock. 

Prescott subbed out in the fourth quarter and was replaced by backup Cooper Rush. Although his QBR (82.9) implies that he played very well, he finished with only 189 yards and was nowhere near his passing prop line.

The Cowboys, dubbed “America’s team” because of their massive fan base, are a huge draw for sports bettors. As a result, stars such as Prescott make frequent appearances on gamblers’ bet slips and are subject to backlash when they don’t cash bets.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson shared a similar sentiment Tuesday morning, although his comments were targeted at the fantasy football and Daily Fantasy Sports crowd.

“My health is wayyyy more important than you winning your fantasy games,” Jefferson posted on X (formerly Twitter). “It doesn’t matter how many times y’all flood my dms talking about me selling your team. I DONT CARE (sic)”

My health is wayyyy more important than you winning your fantasy games. It doesn’t matter how many times y’all flood my dms talking about me selling your team. I DONT CARE😂

— JJETS✈️ (@JJettas2) November 21, 2023 

Jefferson was named the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year following a stellar campaign but has not appeared since Week 5 because of a hamstring injury.

This is not the first time that pro athletes have weighed in on the sports betting conversation. Many have said they don’t care about bettors or their parlays, while others have said that they choose to ignore the topic entirely.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant jokingly said Monday that bettors who harass him when he doesn’t perform should send him portions of their winnings when he does. 

“When I get ya paid, u don’t DM me and send a small percentage to my cashapp but when them parlays don’t hit, I’m every name in the book,” Durant said on X. “Yall ain’t real (sic)”

When I get ya paid, u don’t DM me and send a small percentage to my cashapp but when them parlays don’t hit, I’m every name in the book. Yall ain’t real

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 20, 2023 

This is a busy time of year for sportsbooks. Millions of households will be tuned into three Thanksgiving NFL games, and sports bettors will inevitably be enticed to bet on the action.

Friday’s sports schedule also features games from the NFL, NBA, NHL, college basketball, and college football, among other leagues.

Sports betting revenue reached $7.4 billion in 2022, or roughly 20% of global sports betting revenue. The total and percentage are likely to grow by the year’s end because of the increased prevalence and other states, including Florida, launching their markets.

Disney and PENN Entertainment also recently launched ESPN Bet, an online sportsbook with the goal of acquiring a 10% market share within three years. The companies plan to use ESPN’s resources and audience to make an immediate splash in the market.