6 ms·
It’s been a while since I was in college, but this was a problem then too. So was alcoholism and overuse of recreational drugs. You can’t just ban away vice.
by alphabettsy 3y ago
It’s been a while since I was in college, but this was a problem then too.
So was alcoholism and overuse of recreational drugs. You can’t just ban away vice.
- elfbargpt 3y agoTo an extent you can. Have you used FanDuel, DraftKings, EspnBets? They've only come about in the last couple years after the sports betting ban was lifted. I'll be honest, I think they're really fun to use and I've been betting more than I ever have. I never would have gone through the trouble of sports betting before they existed. I don't consider it a problem personally, but I can only imagine the problems these apps might cause a lot of people.
- alphabettsy 3y agoI don't gamble but friends were using betting sites in the college library or in class before it was unbanned. Bodog especially comes to mind.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- rayiner 3y agoYou can, but you need a supportive community. Muslim countries have effectively banned alcohol, not only as a legal matter, but in practice. Alcohol or drug use subjects you to shaming and other social consequences. When the community is permissive, the law alone won’t work.
- exabrial 3y agoSocial consequences like what exactly?
- rayiner 3y agoEverything from aunties throwing shade to diminished marriage prospects (in a country where 90% of marriages are arranged).
- alphabettsy 3y agoI don't see that as a viable option. I have no interest whatsoever in living in such a repressive culture. If it works great somewhere else, good, but keep it somewhere else.
- rayiner 3y agoMy point is don’t say it can’t be done. It can be done, you just choose not to do it.
- Teever 3y agoI think that when someone says "it can't be done" in this context they mean "It can't be done without a tremendous amount of detrimental side effects."
- rayiner 3y agoThat phraseology only makes sense if you assume the audience agrees with you about what’s “detrimental.” But here, whether the “side effects” are “detrimental” depends on how much you value individual freedom, which is part of the debate. It’s like saying “we can’t have universal healthcare” because you personally consider the resulting tax burden unacceptable. You’re obfuscating your message by glossing over an underlying value judgment that’s very much subject to debate.
- watwut 3y agoThe way Muslim countries do it strikes me as something I 100% do not want at home. Like, I do not want any of it at home.
- huytersd 3y agoYou can. I remember the ban on sports betting right after it was initially starting to take off online. It had a massive chilling effect and you had to jump through a lot of hoops to make a bet (VPNs, fake addresses, knowing a bookie in person etc.), so people just didn’t do it. Not just sports betting either, it really put a damper on online casino games like poker, blackjack etc.
- addicted 3y agoSports betting, or gambling of any form, for that matter, wasn’t a fraction of the problem it is today.
- vintermann 3y agoYou can get far by banning private profit from other people's vices. 0r at least regulating it, if private profit complains too much. The goal isn't to eradicate vice, it's to avoid situations where people create misery for others because they stand to profit from it.