Ask Lemmy

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Gambling as an industry should not exist. It's just predatory.

It's not my thing, I do have a small basket of stocks I call gambling (they break even) and husband spends $2 a week on a lottery ticket.

Other than those I abstain, it's not really fun to me.

I only gamble by dabbling with crypto occasionally - same rules apply in that it's money I can afford to lose at the time.

It's like alcohol. Kids should not use it. Most adults are able to use it in moderation and are fine. It's stupid but they are free to spend their money however they like. Some people can't handle it.

It should be regulated by limiting access to it, limiting advertising and protecting people that can't handle it.

I hate it.

I think gambling has tainted sports and is the epitome of corruption to the core. It's very ironic that a baseball player by the name of Pete Rose, got a lifetime MLB ban for gambling, yet give it 20 some odd years later and Draft Kings is promoted which is gambling.

It fuels addiction, it makes people throw away anything they could that they could bet with, on the off chance, which is narrow, of winning it big.

It's why I hate Las Vegas entirely, I hated it when poker games were nationally broadcast for a while at one point and so on.

When I was a kid in the eighties, slot machines were abundant and there was no age limit, at least not enforced. So we kids tried it, and basically I got lucky because I never won anything and have never tried them since.

I don't do it because it feels like I'm throwing my money away.

Alex Trebek put it this way. "If I win $100.00 I don't feel that wonderful, but if I lose $100.00 I'm very angry."

My sentiments.

Im a victimless crime guy (I use the term loosely and am aware for anyone seeing the term that you can say the user is a victim or knock on effects) so like all this stuff being legal and have felt that way forever. I do want it highly regulated to minimize harm and I think it should be taxed higher than less harmful things. One thing I did not realize until legalization occured that advertising is really problematic with all these type of "adult" activities. So now I am a bit modified in my stance that I don't think advertising should be allowed outside of the establishments themselves. So no roadside signs about a casino at the next exit and such. To see cigarette, alcohol, drug, prostitution, gambling ads you should have to be in one of those establishments to begin with which should not allow minors. So like kids should not be allowed in liquor stores or bars even with a parent. Things like casinos can have hotels where kids are allowed but no advertising for it there. It should be treated as a seperate business that just so happens to have a path to the casino.

You're technically always losing because it's in embedded in the programs and the host/casino/whatever cannot lose money. You have to be an idiot to be gambling.

Gambling is (mostly) a poison. I don't condone sports gambling, I don't go to casinos. I do like to play some poker and fantasy football, but there's a large element of skill to those. It's not as bad as playing slots or betting on the ponies IMO.

Like most things in life, in moderation it can be fun. Adding some stakes to an activity can make it more exciting.

It becomes a problem when people don't have the self-control to self-regulate, and when it's designed to prey upon those people specifically, or to prey on desperate people who feel like it's the only chance they have to get ahead, or who don't have a good understanding of the risks or chances of winning.

Humans as a whole are bad at understanding probability, and our brains are wired such that the happy chemicals we get from winning are more impactful than the unhappy chemicals we get from losing. As such, someone can be losing money overall, but still feel like they're winning, or at least, still get the rush from winning even though they're way down overall. That's dangerous, and gambling companies are designed to specifically target those people and exploit those destructive behaviors. It's like the experiment with the rat that was given a button to give itself happy drugs, and it just sat there pressing the button constantly. Basically, the regulations are necessary because of capitalism, and because without them, those people would very quickly ruin their lives given the chance while the companies running the operation give zero fucks about it.

Then there's the fraud. Look at prediction markets. They're rife with fraud and bet fixing and it's not only politicians and policymakers doing it. John Oliver had a piece on this recently where he goes into some detail, but there've also been articles about journalists getting harassed and threatened because they report on something that would cause a Polymarket loss.

In conclusion, some humans are shitty and we need regulations to keep shitty people from doing shitty things.

Absolutely should be illegal. People will do it anyway, but there will necessarily be restraints on the way it fucks up peoples' lives. Same as underage drinking.

I would consider any gambled money to be lost, the equivalent of lighting it on fire

It's fun but dangerous. My father's gambling addiction derailed my college career, though admittedly it was already on shaky ground. I've forgiven him for that but his addiction and the damage it causes is ongoing.

So: not a fan of casinos.

I think it should be heavily regulated when not done informally.

Informal gambling is fine. Not my vice but you do you.

Gambling as a business should be heavily restricted because of its destructive and addictive nature. The current state of things is like if everyone had a tap with running vodka in their home. Sure plenty would be responsible, but the people who use it most would be the ones who need it to be less accessible, while the people who use it responsibly would be fine having to go outside town to a casino or something to get their fix.

Personally I'd prefer it only be legal in parts of my country where it's traditionally legal such as las Vegas and Atlantic City, but that's not an opinion I can firmly justify.

I bet small amounts on NFL games when the season is active. $10-$20 a week.

I go to the casino a couple times a year with a set amount of money (usually $500), and if I lose that money, I leave.

I'm glad it's legal. Some folks get addicted, and that sucks, but the same can be said about booze, prescription drugs, and even food. We don't need a nanny state banning things because some people go overboard.

It's like drugs.

Personally, I think it's a total waste of money and addicting for some people. I don't think it should be illegal, but I do think that corpo gambling should be. Sportsbooks and their ilk are cancer, and gambling should not be something you can easily blow all of your money on from the comfort of your toilet.

It's pretty stupid. Definitely among top 10 stupidest things humans have invented.

If it could be done fairly, there is no problem. But it's not, almost ever, at least in any commercial application. Your weekly church/bar/library bingo night might be on the level, but it's rife with insider corruption and rigging in almost every other case. There is no inherent problem in it, it's just that people can't really be trusted.

There was a time that I actually had a bit of a gambling problem. Came into some money and decided to just not work for a couple years and live like Caligula. Casinos took care of a good bit of that money before I managed to stop.

And to me that’s the real issue. If you’ve got cash, don’t mind/care if you lose it playing some games, and can walk away without feeling any need to go back, hey, have at it. But if you’re like me and easily get hooked on shit and it makes you irresponsible, well, the casinos and the gambling apps will be just as happy to take your money anyhow, and pretend that showing you an 800 number to call about it is being responsible.

Gambling is paying the idiot tax. Every game is rigged in favor of the casino (or whatever). On the long run, you lose and they win.