Growing up in North Carolina, I am acutely aware of the spring ritual in which the hopes and dreams of college basketball fans come swirling together into the NCAA's annual tournament.

A longstanding part of the March Madness ritual has been forecasting the winners (aka filling in brackets) – and betting on them. For decades, most of what I saw were low-wager pools among co-workers or friends. Although I knew there was big money flying around.

Today, there's no mystery about big money in sports betting. Since widespread legalization in 2018 and the advent of easy access online, the practice has exploded, with Americans legally betting nearly $167 billion on athletic competitions in 2025, earning the sports betting industry a record $17 billion.

Betting at any level can add excitement and increase your income. States use tax revenue from betting to pay for schools, roads, law enforcement and other services. But we also know the downsides. People get addicted. They lose their savings and their relationships. And gambling can corrupt sports, leading to cheating and bettors harassing athletes.

Will you bet? What do you think about sports gambling?

With all that in mind, I still might wager a bet or two, even on some long shots. (Hofstra University, anyone?) What about you?

Tell us if you plan to bet. And if you don't mind, how much? Are you betting among friends or in a more serious venue? And how do you think betting has affected sports – and other aspects of society? Are there things we can do to fix any problems?

We'd like to hear from you, our USA TODAY readers, about your habits and attitudes toward sports gambling, be it a $20 office pool or a major palm-sweating stake.

You can give answers in the form below, leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923 or send us an email to forum@usatoday.com with the subject line “Forum sports betting.” We’ll publish a collection of the best ones in an upcoming Forum piece.

Joel Burgess is a Voices editor for USA TODAY Opinion.

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