4 ms·

The primary reason American gambling has exploded in recent years is the Supreme Court, which decreed federal restrictions on sports gambling as unconstitutiona

The primary reason American gambling has exploded in recent years is the Supreme Court, which decreed federal restrictions on sports gambling as unconstitutional: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy_v._National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy_v._National_Collegiate_... So "laws" aren't really enough.

gottorf 2y ago
I don't know much about this, but based on your description, it sounds like nothing stops state laws from restricting gambling?
- gwd 2y ago
  Then you get a "prisoner's dilemma" situation: 1. No states allow gambling: Everything is normal 2. One state allows gambling and its neighbor doesn't: Gamblers in the non-gambling state use websites / travel to locations in the gambling state, spending massive amounts of money there. Both states experience the negative side effects of gambling, but the one that allows gambling gets a huge tax influx, and the one that forbids gambling loses tax revenue. 3. All states allow gambling: No state has a tax advantage, but all states have the negative externalities of gambling. Individual states probably don't have the authority, and certainly not the clout, to do much about their citizens going to the neighboring state to gamble. The federal government used to have the authority, and certainly does have the clout, to make a dent in inter-country gambling.
  - wbl 2y ago
    4: states use the long arm statutes to go after sites offering bets to their residents.
  - ndriscoll 2y ago
    The federal government still has the authority to regulate/ban gambling transactions that cross state lines (including online). Needing to cross state lines also creates a large barrier for lots of people vs. having it on your phone.
    - bdangubic 2y ago
      you are forgetting that gambling is an addiction… crossing state lines for gamblers is not a large barrier much like it isn’t for sexual predator and other deviants/addicts.
      - ndriscoll 2y ago
        It is a huge barrier for someone like a college student that doesn't have a car, or if they did they'd have to drive for hours. They'll never have an opportunity to get started. It's wildly different from Disney (or their university) advertising sports betting during games and having them download an app.
        bdangubic 2y ago
        I am thinking based on reading your words that you are upstanding citizen who was raised well and never fell into an addiction trap. but trust me, for people with addiction traveling 1000 miles without a car is a non-issue (speaking from quite personal experiences). some stuff might slow you down but not prevent you from reaching a goal and quenching your thirst
        ndriscoll 2y ago
        The point is that vastly fewer people will become addicts in the first place if you don't literally advertise it during games and let them download an app and get going in a couple seconds. Stopping 100% of addicts isn't the goal. The goal is to discourage it, or at least not encourage it. We don't need cartoons pushing cigarettes on kids, and rightly banned that. We don't need Disney and schools pushing gambling on young adults. The current situation is that some public schools are literally pushing gambling on students. It's a complete betrayal toward the younger generation by the older ones (yes, state lotteries are also bad).
        bdangubic 2y ago
        I dont disagree at all - I think gambling should be outright illegal. there are hordes of “fans” of all sports in america that watch the sport only in the interest of gambling and nothing else. the last superbowl I was at a party and was asked in disbelief many times how come I don’t have any “action” on the game so much so that it made me feel like I am somehow “weird” … just take football for example, games are 3+ minutes long, there is on average 11-ish minutes of actual gameplay, the commentators are paid more than maybe handful of players on the field… no wonder one needs gambling to keep money machine churning
wbl 2y ago
States can protect their residents.

gottorf 2y ago

I don't know much about this, but based on your description, it sounds like nothing stops state laws from restricting gambling?

gwd 2y ago
Then you get a "prisoner's dilemma" situation: 1. No states allow gambling: Everything is normal 2. One state allows gambling and its neighbor doesn't: Gamblers in the non-gambling state use websites / travel to locations in the gambling state, spending massive amounts of money there. Both states experience the negative side effects of gambling, but the one that allows gambling gets a huge tax influx, and the one that forbids gambling loses tax revenue. 3. All states allow gambling: No state has a tax advantage, but all states have the negative externalities of gambling. Individual states probably don't have the authority, and certainly not the clout, to do much about their citizens going to the neighboring state to gamble. The federal government used to have the authority, and certainly does have the clout, to make a dent in inter-country gambling.
- wbl 2y ago
  4: states use the long arm statutes to go after sites offering bets to their residents.
- ndriscoll 2y ago
  The federal government still has the authority to regulate/ban gambling transactions that cross state lines (including online). Needing to cross state lines also creates a large barrier for lots of people vs. having it on your phone.
  - bdangubic 2y ago
    you are forgetting that gambling is an addiction… crossing state lines for gamblers is not a large barrier much like it isn’t for sexual predator and other deviants/addicts.
    - ndriscoll 2y ago
      It is a huge barrier for someone like a college student that doesn't have a car, or if they did they'd have to drive for hours. They'll never have an opportunity to get started. It's wildly different from Disney (or their university) advertising sports betting during games and having them download an app.
      - bdangubic 2y ago
        I am thinking based on reading your words that you are upstanding citizen who was raised well and never fell into an addiction trap. but trust me, for people with addiction traveling 1000 miles without a car is a non-issue (speaking from quite personal experiences). some stuff might slow you down but not prevent you from reaching a goal and quenching your thirst
        ndriscoll 2y ago
        The point is that vastly fewer people will become addicts in the first place if you don't literally advertise it during games and let them download an app and get going in a couple seconds. Stopping 100% of addicts isn't the goal. The goal is to discourage it, or at least not encourage it. We don't need cartoons pushing cigarettes on kids, and rightly banned that. We don't need Disney and schools pushing gambling on young adults. The current situation is that some public schools are literally pushing gambling on students. It's a complete betrayal toward the younger generation by the older ones (yes, state lotteries are also bad).
        bdangubic 2y ago
        I dont disagree at all - I think gambling should be outright illegal. there are hordes of “fans” of all sports in america that watch the sport only in the interest of gambling and nothing else. the last superbowl I was at a party and was asked in disbelief many times how come I don’t have any “action” on the game so much so that it made me feel like I am somehow “weird” … just take football for example, games are 3+ minutes long, there is on average 11-ish minutes of actual gameplay, the commentators are paid more than maybe handful of players on the field… no wonder one needs gambling to keep money machine churning

wbl 2y ago

States can protect their residents.