Date: November 13th, 2026 2:32 PM Author: gunneratttt (gunneratttt)
It's a great window into how society has given up and we've entered the decline/looting stage of the empire. Especially with how quickly it happened. There's like a one generation gap between Pete Rose getting banned for gambling and gambling ads being 80% of ads during MLB games.
Date: November 13th, 2026 2:31 PM Author: Tirant Lo Blanc
Hopefully what might kill it is that it’s not cool anymore. As OP said, used to be you had to know a wise guy or make a run to Vegas or AC. Now any asshole can do it. It’s like Applebees or something.
i think it's a symptom of the k shaped economy. if you're in the bottom and feel like you'll never maek it, you might as well gamble for the chance to win. in a more balanced and prosperous society you would invest your money in getting ahead. and of course loosening morals in general, previously everyone involved in gambling was seen as degenerate.
Date: November 13th, 2026 2:34 PM Author: Tirant Lo Blanc
Yeah. Used to be you’d judge a prole for gambling cause he should be saving for a house or whatever. Today we know that’s pointless, he’ll never have enough putting away a hundred a week or whatever. So why the fuck not gamble it and hope you get lucky.
Date: November 13th, 2026 2:40 PM Author: gunneratttt (gunneratttt)
The predatory nature of the apps is so inhuman. Gambling on your phone is bad enough, but targeting problem gamblers for incentives and kicking successful gamblers off is beyond the pale. It's like if liquor stores identified problem drinkers and sent them handles of vodka if they tried getting sober.
Date: November 13th, 2026 2:36 PM Author: Dickey Simpkins
It started with the online poker boom in the late aughts. Once the upside was understood, different folks bribed the right lawmakers to shut down online poker and get their own preferred business legalized.
Date: November 13th, 2026 3:25 PM Author: bloomington (retired) (🦬)
I guess all the sports app stuff came one really fast but I feel like gambling was already pretty pervasive before then
There's Indian casinos all over the place. And in a lot of states, even though it's illegal there is basically no enforcement. Lots of machines in bars. You even see them in C-stores.
Date: November 13th, 2026 3:32 PM Author: ohnoes (🧐)
it's more the fusion with Modern Internet and Media that makes it so bad. you've been able to bet on sports online for many years relatively easily but that was a very grey enterprise without VC backing and wasn't pushed incessantly by ESPN (to take advantage of the boomers) and rampant advertising on sites like twitter and tiktok (to take advantage of Losers and Gen Z, respectively).