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

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

Betting platforms FanDuel and DraftKings say tools are there to help addicted gamblers slow down.

28 points•dzonga•10 days ago•23 comments•

#crack #online #addiction #sports #gambling #80s #like #online sports

23 comments

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. "

laughing_man10 days 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.

toasterlovin10 days 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_man10 days 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?

cjrp10 days ago

The industry can't survive on people who see it as harmless fun, that's the problem.

pseudohadamard10 days ago

So is Russian roulette 83% of the time.

AngryData10 days ago

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

jazzcomputer10 days 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.

znkynz10 days 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...

khelavastr10 days ago

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

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