this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2026
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/72701129

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[–] threeonefour@piefed.ca 122 points 1 week ago (2 children)

The headline makes it sound like he stole from the addiction hotline to fund his addiction. He stole from his previous real estate company, was found out, fired, and charged, became director of an addiction hotline while the case was being heard, and has now recieved a sentence.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 1 week ago

that is the experience you look for if you are part of an addiciton hotline.

Relevant experience, lol

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 56 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Sullivan also recounted how he progressed from $25 sports bets to wagering $50,000 at a time – and losing more than $2m through gambling.

And no sentence for the actually villain of the story, Bovada. Who instead of recognizing this problematic gambling spree, inducted him into their VIP program giving him 50% on deposits. ProPublica did a great video on those non-existent safeguards these apps pretend to have.

Gambling is wildly out of control, but we live in a klpeto hellscape so regulation will never come.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

I think "More Perfect Union" did a piece where they signed up, acted exactly like a problematic immediately, and were quickly (same day) granted VIP.

but we live in a klpeto hellscape so regulation will never come.

The solution to things moving slowly is to think on longer timelines, not give up.

2.5 years isn't tomorrow, but we can be on some real FDR shit by then, with very little actual effort.

We pried the DNC out of the neoliberals death grip, I legitimately never thought I'd see that happen. The hardest part is over but no one even noticed.

[–] ladicius@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Gambling addiction is shite, I've seen intact families fall apart and into poverty due to it. And the assholes who suck the money from these poor souls get hefty rich.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's literally how we evolved.

Our brains get bored of steady reliable rewards. Because those always happen.

There's been studies on this, intermittent and random encouragement is more motivating than actually rewarding people consistently for their effort.

Because our brain desperately wants to solve the randomness. Reward someone for no reason and they just keep doing everything they think may have caused it, give them the reason and they just do that.

That's why so many gamblers are obsessed with their "system" and swear they've almost got it perfected. Gambling addiction isn't even a failing, it's exploiting things that are why we have houses let alone gambling apps.

The drive to solve something that seems random to maximize rewards.

[–] bigmclargehuge@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 week ago

Billy Walter’s book Gambler also calls out that it’s the rush between when you bet and when the cards or diced are played that gets people. The adrenaline of the unknown.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

I don't understand playing a game designed to make you lose, but playing online and assuming it's not fixed is just stupid.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Every day I grow more and more convinced that the only substantial economic activity that occurs in Florida is real estate fraud, and that the social caste hierarchy is basically just 'who can do the most real estate fraud'.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] Blibly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

What are you all outta bridges?

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 week ago

Only if you accept payment in ... uh ... GrantCardoneCoin.

10 years. I've seen rapists get off with less tbh

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Florida Man is getting creative.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago

Because of a unique transparency law, we only hear about what's going on in Florida. Same things are happening elsewhere.

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.social 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Can we extrapolate from that the sentences billionaires should get for large-scale tax evasion?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

at least 2.7trillion for startings, and recently around 4.5trillion now, form all the billions they saved from the bbb.

[–] A_norny_mousse@piefed.social 0 points 1 week ago

Considering a trillion is a million millions I think we can safely assume they should never step foot outside prison walls again.

[–] curiousaur@reddthat.com 2 points 1 week ago

Aw comon, if you just let him set up one more bet, he'd have it to pay everyone back.

[–] csolisr@hub.azkware.net 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Gambling is sadly one of those addictions that make people unable to be trusted ever again.

[–] Anchorxiety@reddthat.com 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] csolisr@hub.azkware.net 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The helpline did, and lost millions

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A Florida man who stole more than $1m from his employer to bankroll a gambling problem – before becoming the director of his state’s gambling addiction helpline in trying to make amends – was recently sentenced to nearly a decade in prison.

Ever consider reading articles instead of headlines?

[–] csolisr@hub.azkware.net -2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I did, and the state should have given a glance to his background and respectfully reject his application. It was way too risky

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

It was way too risky

You're still acting like he continued to not only gamble but also commit crimes...

Why?

And why would you think you know more about gambling addicts than an organization literally about gambling addiction?