Does this only “infect” Gen Z?
I think that’s what you call a compulsive gambler. Not exclusive to any generation it demographic.
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Sounds like a rationalization for “I’m addicted to gambling”
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It’s crazy to me how much gambling has been made mainstream over the last 5-10 years. I don’t have a problem with gambling at casinos, but Draftkings, Kalshi, etc. should be illegal. You shouldn’t be able to piss your life savings away from your phone on your couch.
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Part of me thinks it’s their money and they can do what they want with it. The other part of me feels sorry for them.
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People have all kinds of made up evil in their minds in regards to modern society, but this is an actual real one.
Not only can it affect the individual, but people are getting rich off of the Polymarkets/Kalshi insider trading at staggering levels.
The system is far more corrupt and dangerous than Vegas ever was.
And this is before we talk about sports. Gambling has ruined that bigly.
I agree that it should take some effort to lose your money to these soulless entitities.
But let’s go ahead and regulate other vices, just not this one, because they contribute to PACs.
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Yeah, the polymarket sh!t is ridiculous.
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Yeah, I understand that. But the way these companies operate is predatory. It’s not like having a casino in the area, it’s having a casino in your hand at any time with no guardrails. Personal responsibility is important, but we have historically had some safeguards in place for people who aren’t (or can’t be) responsible. There are none with these companies.
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I’m pretty strongly in the “it’s your money, do what you want with it” camp. But if an industry makes it super easy to turn disposable income and retirement savings into gambling losses, then it’s easily predictable that the consequences will eventually fall on families, taxpayers, and future generations. That makes a legitimate argument for regulation against market failure. I’m not convinced gambling should be illegal, but I think you should at minimum be required to get up and drive to a “place” to wager your money.
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Agree. Such actions should only be undertaken after having a few beers
and seeking the sound advice and consent of your bartender and fellow patrons.
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It’s bad in the Aristotelian sense that the ideal government or mode of organizing society is one that creates and protects the maximum opportunity for citizens to pursue and develop virtue on the path to eudaimonia. This is the life liberty and pursuit of happiness of our founding. Allowing this crap is prejudicial to that pursuit.
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In simpler terms, how far should the government go in protecting us from ourselves ? Nanny state ?
We regulate all kinds of stuff, like usury fees on credit cards.
I don’t know where the line should be drawn on this stuff, but feel it’s probably too available for many.
I actually think credit cards are a great comparison; there are a ton of people going broke because they treat credit like free money, but there’s not a huge public outcry to ban credit cards, or limit purchases on credit to in-person at a bank.
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As others have put it above, the problem isn’t to protect you from yourself, it’s to protect from predators. It’s inherently misleading and not a fair marketplace transaction.
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Yeah, people waste money and go broke in all kinds of ways. Why limit gambling while allowing people to give all their money to TV evangelists, use a credit card to give to college sports programs or whatever else?
There used to be. A weird subset was not issuing cards to women in their own names until the 70s or so.
Then there’s Fight Club.
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It gets fuzzy in my view…protecting you from what gives you fun or a thrill and is profitable to the seller of such services? Casinos we are okay with, in some states 
But if the convenience of phone gambling turns you on , that’s not okay ?
Not arguing against regulating it , but see a need to be careful in how far we go.
Society has regulated gambling from the dawn of time. I don’t see a constitutional issue, especially with the monies that flow through, all of which are subject to taxation, etc.
This is a layup, but I guarantee the polymarkets have many a congressman in their pocket.
Man I’m glad I grew up before sports gambling and now just gambling on anything via “prediction markets” was normalized. Also nice that I got really stressed out the few times I’ve gambled to the point it ruined my sports watching of that event. Felt like the stress you feel before taking a huge exam. Why would I purposely subject myself to that stress/dread? I guess I’m an-anti gambler in that sense. Consider myself lucky to not be sucked down that road. This is one area I’m for heavy regulation as it is clear predatory behavior abounds.
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Well we have times and places to buy alcohol and tobacco and firearms. It’s regulated and controlled, because some people hurt themselves and others with these things, even though other people can use them with no issues.
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