I travel a lot on Europe (at least pre covid) and one of the worst social trends has been the spread of betting agencies, especially the aptly named Ladbrokes b

I travel a lot on Europe (at least pre covid) and one of the worst social trends has been the spread of betting agencies, especially the aptly named Ladbrokes but a number of others too. They shoele up mostly in the poorer parts of big cities and suck the money out of poor people hoping for a break. I saw them largely first in England, then Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and noe pretty much everywhere. They even look sad, just a bunch of screens showing sport, with machines to punch in your order. Often bars on the windows, or at minimum lots of cover so you can't see who is inside. Floors covered in dirt and betting slips, and mostly young to middle aged guys hanging around and looking absolutely always absolutely miserable. Good public policy bans these places or at minimum taxes them so hard (and closes all the loopholes) that it isnf profitable anymore to fleece the poor addicted fools. Shame on anyone perpetuating these businesses, buying stock in these companies, allowing them to rent their shop front, etc. At least national lotteries fund culture or other worthy causes, but nothing good at all comes from these places. Just miserable bankrupt families and heartbreak.