Curaçao trounced Nevada to win this yr’s Little League World Series (LLWS). And some viewers had cash driving on the result. That has drawn the ire of a U.S. congressman.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA) has requested U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to research offshore sportsbooks that allowed wagers on the annual youth baseball event.
Regulated sportsbooks and prediction markets within the U.S. don’t supply LLWS betting. That’s not the case with some offshore operators. BetOnline not solely permits wagering on the event, which options 10-to 12-years-olds, it promotes it.
Kiley chairs the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education on the House Committee on Education and Workforce. He’s pushing for a probe into what he sees as youngster exploitation by the offshore guide.
“The systematic exploitation of children is a genuine concern to myself and the members of my committee,” Kiley wrote to Blanche and Bessent on Sept. 4. The letter was shared with USA Today.
“I’m reaching out today to request an investigation by your respective agencies so we can put an end to this obvious abuse, and if laws were broken, to secure swift prosecution of the offending parties.”
Big Betting Numbers
As the LLWS started in August, BetOnline promoted wagering on the event. This marked the sixth yr in a row the location has allowed betting on the LLWS. The event consists of groups from around the globe. ESPN broadcasts it yearly.
The sportsbook mentioned wagering on the occasion was twice as a lot in 2025 because it was in 2024. The firm mentioned the LLWS attracts extra betting exercise on some days than professional sports activities occasions.
“We offer Little League World Series odds because there’s a massive demand for it,” BetOnline Brand Manager Dave Mason mentioned. “Our customers request these odds every year, and we’ll take more bets on the LLWS over the next two weeks than on established markets such as the WNBA, Major League Soccer, pro tennis, or golf.”
As the event bought underway, the location supplied futures wagering on the U.S. and worldwide brackets. Bettors may additionally choose whether or not an American or worldwide workforce would win the championship.
BetOnline has additionally allowed wagering on different youth occasions. In 2024, the location supplied odds on Texas highschool soccer video games.
Mason mentioned giant highschool soccer operations may be huge enterprise. He mentioned “offering odds at small limits is small time in comparison (to some other sports).”
Opposition Grows
Betting on the event has include appreciable opposition. In a social media submit this yr, LLWS officers affirmed the organization’s opposition to wagering on video games involving kids.
“Little League International stands by its statement first issued last year that there is no place for betting on Little League games and players or any youth sports competition,” the league posted.
“Little League is a trusted place where children are learning the fundamentals of the games and all the important life lessons that come with having fun, celebrating teamwork, and playing with integrity, and no one should be exploiting the success and failures of children playing the game they love for their own personal gain.”
Kiley mentioned the betting operator is skirting U.S. gaming legal guidelines.
“We have existing laws that may well be implicated as well, so that’s why we got the Department of Justice to look at it,” the congressman advised USA Today. “I hope that they will undertake an investigation to see whether laws have been broken now, what tools they have to bring this process to an end, and if it’s found that there’s no existing legal authority or tools to stop it, then to work on appropriate legislation to provide that authority.”
The letter comes amid efforts in some states to focus on unregulated gaming operators. Michigan has been one of the crucial lively. It despatched cease-and-desist letters to 45 operators in April. That adopted the same effort in 2025 ordering 13 different offshore gaming websites to cease working within the state.
The American Gaming Association affirms that betting on youth sports activities is illegitimate within the U.S.
