4 ms·

The addiction of online sports gambling: "Like crack in the '80s"

27 points by dzonga 12d ago

elmer2 12d ago
Funny how the same people that want to fine Meta also want pot shops that sell a substance that's much more addictive.
- brianwawok 12d ago
  [flagged]
  - awakeasleep 12d ago
    You can say it, but if you want anyone to take you seriously, specify which definition of addictive you’re using. No one is going to argue with “psychologically addictive”
- UncleEntity 12d ago
  I'd like to see the UCLA study which showed that in states that legalized marijuana, bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increased about 25%. Admittedly, I didn't read the whole article but I didn't see anything about banning social media and/or putting pot stores on every corner to compete with the liquor/tobacco stores. Seems like something they would have put in the beginning to draw the reader in, dunno? What I do know from living on this planet for over half a century is that gambling and alcohol and certain drugs are very addictive and have the tendency of ruining people's lives. Pretty much common knowledge at this point, one would have thought...
- rc5150 12d ago
  is it the substance that's addictive or is it the relief and respite it provides from this capitalist hellscape we're all drowning in?
- Ylpertnodi 12d ago
  I'm in a country where pot is illegal, but I get my prescriptions just fine. Damn the state for recognising there may be a problem with pot, but it's OK, really.
jazzcomputer 12d ago
Interesting how the folk they're showing actually have the money to burn currently/previously - it avoids reporting some of the problems you'd have impacting someone who is struggling economically.
- znkynz 12d ago
  Profit comes from addicts, not casual players. Gambling is a parasitic practice that harms communitites[1]. The bookmakers all know this, but obviously pretend otherwise. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/25/life-unravelled-problem-gambling https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/25/life...
hexapus 12d ago
And pushed on poor people by elites in government as a means of control. Surprised this article made it past the editors, given the involvment of the Trump family in current betting markets.
AngryData 12d ago
The only reason gambling isn't 10x more dangerous than crack is because crack gets you arrested.
laughing_man 12d ago
Certainly there are people who shouldn't gamble, but that doesn't mean gambling should be illegal. For a lot of people it's harmless fun.
- pseudohadamard 12d ago
  So is Russian roulette 83% of the time.
- toasterlovin 12d ago
  I think it’s worth reflecting on the baseline paradigm of our political system. Which is: we are perfectly fine taxing one group of people (the working non-retired) at very substantial levels so that a different group of people (the retired) can not work for 20 years at the end of their lives. Given that our backdrop is such an incredible impingement of the liberty of some for the benefit of others, I think it’s completely reasonable to likewise impinge on the freedom of people who can gamble responsibly to save people who are prone to gambling addiction from destroying their lives.
  - laughing_man 12d ago
    I disagree with the framing of your comment. For one thing, you get an old age pension for the extra taxes you pay when you work. What do I get for restrictions on my liberties in this case?
    - juiceland 12d ago
      > What do I get for restrictions on my liberties in this case? A neighbor who is less likely to beat his wife because he gambled all the rent money on baseball
    - toasterlovin 12d ago
      Then restrict it to just programs that help the poor. Still an enormous share of the federal budget and, thus, a huge impingement on the liberty of people who are not poor.
    - 11d ago
khelavastr 12d ago
It was not literally as bad as crack in the 80s. That's an insulting comparison.
schmudde 12d ago
The pace at which sports betting has changed in the USA is incredible. I grew up with Pete Rose not getting into the baseball hall of fame. Not it's impossible to imagine that athletes are not betting on games. And more importantly, there is the social cost: "One UCLA study published earlier this year found that in states that legalized sports gambling online, bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increased about 25%. A survey by the National Council on Problem Gambling found 8% of American adults, almost 20 million people, reported experiencing at least one indicator of problematic gambling behavior "many times" in the past year. "

27 points by dzonga 12d ago

elmer2 12d ago

Funny how the same people that want to fine Meta also want pot shops that sell a substance that's much more addictive.

brianwawok 12d ago
[flagged]
- awakeasleep 12d ago
  You can say it, but if you want anyone to take you seriously, specify which definition of addictive you’re using. No one is going to argue with “psychologically addictive”
UncleEntity 12d ago
I'd like to see the UCLA study which showed that in states that legalized marijuana, bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increased about 25%. Admittedly, I didn't read the whole article but I didn't see anything about banning social media and/or putting pot stores on every corner to compete with the liquor/tobacco stores. Seems like something they would have put in the beginning to draw the reader in, dunno? What I do know from living on this planet for over half a century is that gambling and alcohol and certain drugs are very addictive and have the tendency of ruining people's lives. Pretty much common knowledge at this point, one would have thought...
rc5150 12d ago
is it the substance that's addictive or is it the relief and respite it provides from this capitalist hellscape we're all drowning in?
Ylpertnodi 12d ago
I'm in a country where pot is illegal, but I get my prescriptions just fine. Damn the state for recognising there may be a problem with pot, but it's OK, really.

jazzcomputer 12d ago

Interesting how the folk they're showing actually have the money to burn currently/previously - it avoids reporting some of the problems you'd have impacting someone who is struggling economically.

znkynz 12d ago
Profit comes from addicts, not casual players. Gambling is a parasitic practice that harms communitites[1]. The bookmakers all know this, but obviously pretend otherwise. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/25/life-unravelled-problem-gambling https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/25/life...

hexapus 12d ago

And pushed on poor people by elites in government as a means of control. Surprised this article made it past the editors, given the involvment of the Trump family in current betting markets.

AngryData 12d ago

The only reason gambling isn't 10x more dangerous than crack is because crack gets you arrested.

laughing_man 12d ago

Certainly there are people who shouldn't gamble, but that doesn't mean gambling should be illegal. For a lot of people it's harmless fun.

pseudohadamard 12d ago
So is Russian roulette 83% of the time.
toasterlovin 12d ago
I think it’s worth reflecting on the baseline paradigm of our political system. Which is: we are perfectly fine taxing one group of people (the working non-retired) at very substantial levels so that a different group of people (the retired) can not work for 20 years at the end of their lives. Given that our backdrop is such an incredible impingement of the liberty of some for the benefit of others, I think it’s completely reasonable to likewise impinge on the freedom of people who can gamble responsibly to save people who are prone to gambling addiction from destroying their lives.
- laughing_man 12d ago
  I disagree with the framing of your comment. For one thing, you get an old age pension for the extra taxes you pay when you work. What do I get for restrictions on my liberties in this case?
  - juiceland 12d ago
    > What do I get for restrictions on my liberties in this case? A neighbor who is less likely to beat his wife because he gambled all the rent money on baseball
  - toasterlovin 12d ago
    Then restrict it to just programs that help the poor. Still an enormous share of the federal budget and, thus, a huge impingement on the liberty of people who are not poor.
  - 11d ago

khelavastr 12d ago

It was not literally as bad as crack in the 80s. That's an insulting comparison.

schmudde 12d ago

The pace at which sports betting has changed in the USA is incredible. I grew up with Pete Rose not getting into the baseball hall of fame. Not it's impossible to imagine that athletes are not betting on games. And more importantly, there is the social cost: "One UCLA study published earlier this year found that in states that legalized sports gambling online, bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies increased about 25%. A survey by the National Council on Problem Gambling found 8% of American adults, almost 20 million people, reported experiencing at least one indicator of problematic gambling behavior "many times" in the past year. "