Finance
It's time to rein in sports betting
When it comes to your finances, sports betting may be one gamble you don’t want to take.
Wagering on sports can lead to poorer debt management and worse credit scores. Bettors are also more likely to increase their spending and shrink their investments, according to a pair of recent studies. The consequences are biggest among financially vulnerable populations.
What’s worse, per a third study, is that the way sports betting is evolving could make it one of the most addictive forms of gambling.
It’s time for policymakers to step in and regulate this budding betting industry six years after it was legalized in the US to help people avoid their worst impulses — before it’s too late.
“As individuals, voters, [and] policymakers, I think our results are concerning,” Justin Balthrop, a co-author of one of the studies and an assistant professor of finance at the University of Kansas, told Yahoo Finance.
“But it’s very hard to make prescriptions before you have a diagnosis. And what I think our paper is really trying to do is get very precise estimates of exactly what the problems are.”
The financial consequences of sports betting
Sports betting began to take hold after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, allowing states to set their own sports gambling laws.
So far, sports betting is legal through retail and/or online sportsbooks in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Revenue has jumped, growing 30.3% to $7.56 billion year to date through July from the same period last year.
In his study, Balthrop — who refers to himself as “a pretty avid and voluminous sports bettor” — took advantage of the staggered rollout of sports betting across the US after its legalization, giving him and his colleagues time to understand the before and after effects of this betting.
What he found was for every $1 deposited into online sportsbooks, those households reduce their investment allocations by $2. The doubling effect — from $1 to $2 — comes from the additional spending outside of the bets to support their gambling. Think extra streaming services or more sports bar tabs to watch games.
Additionally, sports betting increases the number of times households overdraw their bank accounts, Balthrop found. These effects were worse for financially constrained households, which also reduced their credit card payments while increasing their balances.
“The core of this effect is taking place in households that may not have budgetary slack,” Balthrop said.
Davide Proserpio and his colleagues found similarly concerning findings in their study. Overall, the average credit score in a state fell by 0.3% after legalizing sports gambling. That figure triples to 1% if the state permitted online sports gambling.
The fact the study took the average credit score of a state’s entire population likely dilutes the real impact on a bettor’s personal credit score, Proserpio, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Southern California, said.
On top of that, bankruptcies, debt consolidation loans, and debt collections increased in states that legalized sports betting, especially online betting — to the point that Proserpio found that lenders restricted access to credit to protect themselves. Low-income young men were more likely to be affected.
“It’s not just gambling is affecting, on average, consumer financial health,” he said, “it is also affecting a part of the population that is already low income and probably has other types of [financial] problems.”
‘A casino in our pockets’
Balthrop and Proserpio documented the consequences of sports betting, but their studies didn’t examine why this particular form of gambling can be so detrimental.
That’s where Dr. Jamie Torrance, a researcher in psychology at Swansea University in the UK, and his colleagues come in. They examined numerous studies worldwide on gambling in what’s called a scoping review and unearthed patterns to help explain why sports betting has gotten so pernicious. It comes down to three factors: access, quantity of bets, and illusion of control.
Historically, sports betting was a slow, “simplistic form of gambling,” Torrance said. To wager on a game, you had to call up a booker or walk into a betting shop. You could only bet if a team was going to win, lose, or tie. And then you had to wait until the game was over for the outcome of your bet.
“There’s lots of research that indicates that the longer you have to wait for a gambling outcome, the less addictive and harmful the product usually is,” Torrance said.
Not anymore with sports gambling, which is instantly accessible on our phones and more akin to slot machines.
“We’re basically walking around with a casino in our pockets,” Torrance said.
On popular apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel, bettors can wager at any time of the day, on any sport, on any game. They can bet on more than just who wins the game, too; they can put money on the outcome of the next baseball pitch or field goal kick. The options are nearly endless and the results come back faster.
“That is a big issue,” he said.
Another major problem is that sports bettors can easily convince themselves they can beat the odds, Torrance said, providing “an illusion of control.”
They fancy themselves as sports experts. They watch all the games and read all the game reports. They may subscribe to sports newsletters with insider info. Heck, maybe they were a half-rate player a decade ago.
“Sports betting has a way of tapping into people’s misestimation of their own expertise,” Balthrop said, agreeing with Torrance.
But — like any other type of gambling — the game is rigged. The house always wins.
‘A trade-off’
Torrance’s research also uncovered how sports betting could evolve — and his two major predictions are unsettling.
First, he expects sports betting companies to employ augmented reality. For instance, you could point your phone at a live sporting event, and the app would provide real-time odds on different bets.
Second, he anticipates these companies will provide bettors with very specific notifications based on their gambling behavior. A person could receive an alert that the star player’s mother is having surgery this week that could affect the player’s performance. Maybe the recommendation is to bet against the team.
“That kind of stuff encourages what we discussed earlier, which is the illusion of control,” he said.
This is why all three researchers embarked on these studies, to provide crucial data on gambling to inform lawmakers who — to be honest — may be swayed more by the tax revenue sports betting provides. But citizens who get themselves into too much debt or don’t save for retirement become a “social cost burden” down the road, Balthrop said.
“There is a trade-off here,” Proserpio agreed.
Australia offers a blueprint, recently implementing ways to slow the betting process to combat those ruinous consequences. But time is ticking in the US as the sports betting industry evolves and grows.
Lawmakers in Missouri and Oklahoma have introduced bills to legalize the industry, while two Democratic congressmen this month introduced a bill that would allow the federal government to regulate advertising, bet-making, and artificial intelligence in the industry.
“I’d like to think that you guys over the pond have more time to reduce harm, but in reality, I don’t think that’s going to be the case,” Torrance said. “I think, in fact, it’s going to mirror the UK where we have lots of gambling harm.”
In other words, don’t bet on it.
Janna Herron is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X @JannaHerron.
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Finance
How AI Is Evolving in Sage Intacct and What It Means for Finance Teams | CBIZ
Organizations are shifting their focus from isolated use cases and standalone tools to connect AI directly to financial data across workflows.
Recent updates to Sage Intacct reflect this trend. The latest capabilities embed AI within everyday processes while also enabling finance teams to extend AI capabilities beyond Sage’s core system in a secure and governed way.
Introducing Finance AI
Sage Intacct has reached a major milestone with the release of Finance AI, now available to all customers at no cost through May 2027.
Finance AI represents the next phase of embedded AI, bringing together purpose-built Sage Copilot and AI agent capabilities for finance teams.
This enables Sage Intacct users to begin applying AI in their workflows immediately, without requiring budget approval or long-term commitment.
With Finance AI extended, teams can:
- Test AI-driven workflows in a real environment;
- Identify high-value use cases across finance; and
- Build internal adoption and confidence before investing further.
For many organizations, this will serve as the starting point for AI adoption, allowing them to test the technology and expand into more advanced use cases over time.
AI Inside and Around Sage Intacct
Sage continues to expand its AI capabilities through Sage Copilot and a growing set of AI agents designed to streamline operations and improve decision-making across finance.
Applications include:
- Automating invoice processing to reduce manual effort and errors;
- Enabling natural language queries to move from question to insight faster;
- Supporting the close process with task tracking and guidance; and
- Identifying unusual activity in real time.
With AI now available directly within financial workflows, teams no longer need to work outside the system to incorporate AI enhancements.
Sage is also expanding AI integration capabilities by giving organizations the ability to connect external AI tools to their financial data.
Extending AI with the Sage Intacct AI Gateway
The Sage Intacct AI Gateway is a key part of the platform’s evolution.
AI Gateway makes secure, AI-enabled access to the Sage Intacct REST API and MCP Server available to all customers and partners.
This opens the door for organizations to build AI solutions that align with their existing tools, processes, and architecture.
With the AI Gateway, finance teams can:
- Connect external AI tools directly to Sage Intacct data;
- Build custom AI-driven workflows and use cases;
- Maintain existing role-based access and permissions; and
- Use their preferred AI platforms without requiring a specific model or vendor.
In short, it enables organizations to customize their AI while connecting it securely to their financial system.
The Sage Intacct MCP Server: A Controlled Approach to AI Access
At the center of the AI Gateway is the Sage Intacct MCP Server, a secure orchestration layer that manages AI application interactions with Sage Intacct through a single governed endpoint.
Rather than allowing direct, uncontrolled access to financial data, the MCP Server centralizes how AI tools interact with the system.
Key characteristics include:
- Real-time, read-only access to core financial areas such as AP, AR, GL, cash management, purchasing, and order entry;
- Compatibility with MCP-enabled AI clients; and
- Governance and security aligned with existing user permissions.
The MCP Server does not write data and is not a standalone AI tool. As a read-only model, MCP Server helps ensure data integrity while enabling AI-driven insights and workflows.
Connecting Existing AI Tools with the MCP Connector
To further simplify adoption, Sage has introduced a newly released MCP connector that allows organizations to connect existing AI tools to Sage Intacct.
This removes the need for complex custom integrations and makes it easier to:
- Bring financial data into broader AI workflows;
- Extend existing AI investments; and
- Quickly test and scale new use cases.
Instead of starting from scratch, organizations can build on what they already have while maintaining the governance advantages within the MCP framework.
How These Pieces Work Together
Sage’s AI strategy is built around flexibility and choice. Recent updates enable:
- Sage Copilot and AI agents bring AI directly into the Sage Intacct experience;
- AI Gateway and MCP Server enable secure access for external AI tools; and
- MCP connector links those tools to real financial data.
This layered approach allows organizations to start with embedded capabilities and expand into customized AI solutions as their needs evolve.
Why This Matters
Finance teams are under increasing pressure to deliver faster insights, reduce manual work, and support strategic decision-making.
AI can help address these challenges, but only if it is connected to the data that matters most.
These Sage Intacct updates make it possible to:
- Access and use financial data within AI tools securely;
- Extend AI across systems instead of keeping it siloed; and
- Maintain control, governance, and auditability.
This is a shift from isolated automation to connected, data-driven workflows.
How CBIZ Can Help
As a leading Sage VAR partner, CBIZ works with organizations to evaluate where AI can drive the most impact. If you’re exploring how to connect AI to your financial data or want to better understand where to start your AI journey, our team can help you define the right approach and build a roadmap aligned to your goals.
Connect with a member of our team to explore how Finance AI, Sage Copilot, and the AI Gateway can support your organization.
Finance
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Finance
How Banreservas mobilised diaspora capital
 
Author: Leonardo Aguilera, CEO, Banreservas
Banreservas’ international expansion strategy is centred on strengthening economic ties with the Dominican diaspora as a strategic economic partner, rather than just operating as a full retail bank abroad, and the bank has successfully used mortgage fairs as part of this expansion strategy. These client-centric engagement events bring together diaspora clients, credible Dominican real estate developers, fiduciary-backed projects and bank representatives in one venue to help address key diaspora challenges such as distance and lack of trusted intermediaries, legal and documentation uncertainty, difficulty assessing projects remotely and limited access to tailored financing.
By simplifying the sending process from the US and Europe, reducing operational friction, and offering greater convenience and security, Banreservas has incentivised increased use of formal remittance channels. This strategy has had, and is expected to continue to have, a highly positive impact on remittance flows to the Dominican Republic, both in terms of volume and formalisation.
Reimagining the diaspora relationship
Banreservas’ model relies on representative offices set in strategic cities to provide advisory, pre-qualification and customer support services, while the financing and account opening itself is referred to Banreservas in the Dominican Republic, where they are operatively managed and booked.
The US (New York and Miami) and Spain (Madrid) were chosen as priority hubs to channel diaspora engagement and long-term investment because they are home to some of the largest and most economically active Dominican communities worldwide. By establishing representative offices in these strategic locations, Banreservas delivers tailored financial services to historically underserved expatriate communities, enabling them to invest, save, and build wealth in the Dominican Republic while contributing to national economic development, unlocking sustainable growth opportunities and deepening its role as a financial bridge between Dominicans abroad and their home country.
Banreservas uses mortgage fairs to compress what is traditionally a long, fragmented cross‑border process into a single, guided experience that combines education, advisory, and support. Diaspora clients can receive on-the-spot pre-qualification, explore real estate projects nationwide, and receive information and guidance about loan processes, although final approvals and disbursements are processed in the Dominican Republic.
The response in the US and Madrid has been characterised by sustained momentum and the diversity of participant profiles, from first-time buyers to repeat investors and returning nationals, which suggests that the fairs are resonating beyond a narrow segment of the diaspora. In US cities with long-established Dominican communities, the fairs have evolved into anticipated events rather than exploratory initiatives, with those in New York and Lawrence generating financing exceeding $49m. However, the initiative was newer in Europe, so the response in Madrid followed a slightly different trajectory, with early editions focusing heavily on education and orientation. That said, the first fair in Madrid attracted thousands of participants and closed with financing requests of more than $21m.
Risk mitigation is central to the model and projects are carefully vetted, many supported under a fiduciary account or an estate asset trust fund and backed by clear legal frameworks. Banreservas’ direct involvement is one of the defining features of its diaspora strategy to ensure transparency, regulatory compliance and investor protection throughout the process. By offering direct access to Banreservas’ experts, vetted developers, fiduciary-backed projects and consistent financing terms, these events are helping create a relationship-building platform that improves transparency, credibility and institutional confidence. Internal customer experience reports emphasise that word-of-mouth referrals, repeat attendance, and post-fair engagement are among the clearest indicators that trust has been established organically, particularly within close-knit diaspora communities. Banreservas’ role as the national leading institution further reassures clients investing from abroad.
Transaction to transformation
Rather than a single-product offering, Banreservas approaches diaspora customers with a portfolio mindset, providing a robust cross-border selection including mortgage loans, savings and checking accounts, remittance-linked products and investment solutions tied to real estate development.
Banreservas has deliberately adopted a scalable and selective expansion logic
Remittances are a core strategic pillar of Banreservas’ international expansion, and the creation of new digital channels and specialised financial products are helping transform remittances into a gateway for deepening financial inclusion. The Remesas Reservas app enables Dominicans abroad to send money from the US and Europe using international cards, with funds credited directly to bank accounts or debit cards in the Dominican Republic, eliminating the need for cash, queues, or physical travel. The app is complemented by the home delivery remittances service, which extends financial access to rural communities that were previously excluded from the formal financial system. Service performance data shows that 97 percent of remittances sent through the app complete the entire process digitally, while 94 percent are received directly in bank accounts, strengthening financial traceability. This supports the sustainability and potential growth of remittance inflows to the Dominican Republic that already exceeds $12bn annually, while also expanding the banked customer base and improving the overall efficiency of the national financial ecosystem.
The strategy is further strengthened by the introduction of remittance-based consumer and mortgage loans, specifically designed for remittance recipients. These products allow recurring remittance flows to be converted into formal financial history, facilitating access to credit, and reinforcing the ‘bankarisation’ process. As a result, remittances evolve from a basic transfer mechanism into a financial development tool, integrating beneficiaries into the banking system with solutions tailored to their real income patterns and needs.
Mortgage financing in the Dominican Republic is embedded within a broader set of banking solutions designed to support the full investment and ownership journey. At the core are residential mortgage products structured for non-resident clients looking to acquire property in the Dominican Republic. These are complemented by linked deposit and savings accounts, which allow clients to organise funds, manage payments and maintain an ongoing banking relationship once the purchase process begins. In parallel, Banreservas leverages its digital channels and remittance services to facilitate the movement of funds and day-to-day interaction with Banreservas, reinforcing continuity beyond the initial transaction.
For first-time diaspora investors, the emphasis is on financial orientation and readiness with solutions structured to simplify entry into the formal mortgage system in the Dominican Republic. For returning nationals, products and advisory conversations are typically aligned with reintegration objectives. In both cases, the underlying principle is adaptability within a controlled institutional framework, rather than bespoke products that introduce additional risk.
They have the support of President Luis Abinader, who has created the conditions for Dominicans in the diaspora take advantage of the macroeconomic stability, legal security, and full guarantees that receive all foreign investors who trust in the Dominican Republic to make their business.
Modernising remittance ecosystem
Modernising the remittance ecosystem combined with specialised financial products generates a direct multiplier effect on strategic sectors, strengthening the real economy and territorial development. In the construction sector, the remittance mortgage loan transforms recurring remittance flows into formal financing capacity for homeownership and has taken centre stage in Banreservas’ participation in international mortgage fairs. Diaspora demand supports property acquisition and upstream activities such as project development, construction services, materials supply, legal services and professional employment.
Equally important is the impact on financial deepening and formalisation. When diaspora investors enter the banking system through regulated mortgage channels, their participation strengthens the use of formal financial products, thereby expanding the reach and resilience of the financial system. This dynamic is a key contribution to economic maturity, as it encourages long-term financial relationships rather than one-time transactions.
From a tourism perspective, the strategy strengthens the economic and emotional ties between the diaspora and the country. Home purchases financed through mortgage loans paid via remittances promote more frequent visits, longer stays, and increased spending on tourism-related services, while also encouraging investment in vacation properties and second homes. Additionally, increased formal income and financial inclusion among remittance-receiving households boosts domestic consumption, benefiting transportation, commerce and service sectors closely linked to tourism.
The scalable model
Banreservas has deliberately adopted a scalable and selective expansion logic, prioritising model stabilisation in proven markets before extending to new ones. However, any future expansions are likely to be opportunity-driven and phased, to ensure that each new market sustains long-term client relationships. This strategy allows for progressive expansion, but only where three conditions converge: concentrated Dominican diaspora communities with sustained economic ties to the Dominican Republic, regulatory and operational feasibility, particularly the ability to support activity through representative offices or equivalent structures, and demonstrated demand signals.
The next three to five years points to a qualitative shift in diaspora investment behaviour. First, there is a clear movement from sentimental ownership to strategic investment. Second, diaspora investors are showing a stronger preference for formal, institutionally mediated channels. And finally, the younger diaspora segment tends to prioritise entry-level or future-orientated assets, while more established individuals focus on retirement, anchoring, or reintegration-linked purchases. This diversification of motivations is influencing how Banreservas structures advisory conversations and sequences client engagement over time.
With diaspora investment contributing to national economic development primarily by transforming external household income into structured, long-term domestic capital, Banreservas’ long-term objectives are driving financial inclusion, fostering foreign direct investment and supporting key productive sectors. By empowering confident diaspora investment, Banreservas reinforces its leadership role in national development while expanding its international footprint in a sustainable way by adopting a focused model that strengthens value creation in the Dominican Republic through targeted international interaction.
From a growth perspective, the expansion allows Banreservas to diversify its customer acquisition channels by engaging Dominican communities abroad at earlier stages of their financial decision-making. From an economic development standpoint, the strategy is goal orientated.
By facilitating diaspora investment in housing and related sectors in the Dominican Republic, Banreservas acts as a conduit that transforms external income flows into productive domestic investment.
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