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Congressman Seeks Ban on Little League World Series Betting

Bob Duff
Bob Duff Legal Betting Specialist
Fact checked by:
David Genge
Published 01/09/2026 Add betting.net™ as a preferred source.

Curaçao won the Little League World Series title on Sunday as the popular annual tournament ended. If he had his way, Congressman Kevin Kiley would like to find a way to prohibit offshore sites from offering betting lines on the Little League World Series. The Independent Rep. from California chairs the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

The committee recently held two hearings to discuss the impact private equity firms are having on youth sports in the USA. Now, Kiley would like the committee to launch an investigation into betting on the Little League World Series.

Little League World Seriies logo

Regulated U.S. sports betting sites can't offer lines on youth sports

There are 40 states offering legal and regulated sports betting in the USA. In all states, betting on youth sports such as the Little League World Series is strictly prohibited.

"No licensed sportsbooks offer bets on youth sports," the American Gaming Association told USA Today Sports in a statement. "If a bet is placed on the Little League World Series, it is through an illegal sportsbook or 'prediction market' preying on consumers and exploiting youth sports.

"The AGA continues to advocate for law enforcement to take action against these illegal, offshore operators and protect American consumers."

Offshore sites are betting sites that are regulated by countries other than the USA. It's there that you will find Little League World Series betting markets. Estimates are that Americans wager more than $670 billion annually through offshore betting sites.

Little League International is the operator of the Little League World Series. They issued a formal statement denouncing these betting lines on their tournament.

“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 statement read. “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.”

Amazingly, and perhaps somewhat shockingly, betting on LLWS games is popular.

“We offer Little League World Series odds because there’s a massive demand for it,” BetOnline Brand Manager Dave Mason said in a press release, according to reporting by TechCrunch. “Our customers request these odds every year. We’ll take more bets on the LLBWS ... than on established markets such as the WNBA, Major League Soccer, pro tennis or golf.”

What can Congress do to stop wagering on Little League World Series games?

These betting sites do not operate on U.S. soil or under U.S. regulation. That makes stopping LLWS betting problematic.

“I think that it does get complicated when you have this extraterritorial dimension to it," Kiley said. "But we are talking about the American Little League World Series. It's an American institution that is deeply connected to essentially every community in this country. And this idea that the institution is being infiltrated by high-stakes gambling I find to be deeply disturbing and something that I think we should try to do whatever we can to stop it.

"It's certainly something that we're gonna look into and see what we can do with it."

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