I feel like America is re-learning why gambling was so widely outlawed. It just ruins everything it touches. At least casinos are mostly contained. I'm tired of seeing gambling ads on every sport and hearing the news talk about prediction markets.

Not to mention, they all prey on people. When I was younger, I worked in a gas station, and people would come in regularly and drop everything they had on scratch-offs. And a lot of these people clearly did not have the money to spare. It's gross.

Years ago I was friend with a guy who played tennis at international levels (say top 1000 players). He regularly received death treats on social networks from people Gambling on him to win/lose (and the opposite happened)

Day trading too, and day trading led us down this path. Everyone is a gambler now. All morals are out the window.

On a side note, I find it incredible crypto trading/day trading/meme stock trading etc is not recognised as a bigger societal problem. It is 100% gambling and has the same negative externalities associated with it. But none of the tools gambling companies need to abide by (blocklists, warnings, limits, etc) apply to trading.

B-b-but futarchy and unbiased decisionmaking means well-calibrated markets could be a net good for society!! /hj

Anything that requires a ton of criminal law, regulation, and enforcement around it should have to meet some kind of standard of societal benefit.

The entertainment value of betting does not meet that standard, in my opinion.

Replace gamblers with futures market and I agree.