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JumpCrisscross10/01/20244 repliesview on HN

> Most gamblers are casuals. I spend $5-10 a week during football and usually am down like $10 at the end of the year

An annual cap of $500 on bets per social security number seems reasonable. At the very least, 10% of state's median income (a whopping $4,222 nationally [1]).

[1] https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA646N


Replies

HelloMcFly10/02/2024

I don't gamble outside of a few small wagers during March Madness. Having said that, I have a viscerally negative reaction to your proposal. It feels paternalistic to the point of near Puritanism. I don't want a laissez-faire free-for-all out there, I'm not saying "everything is fine as-is", but a government capped limit on how you waste your own money when the terms and odds are clearly communicated (unlike traditional scams, for instance)? I'll pass on that, and I'm confident I'm more of a "big government" proponent than most commenters in this community.

At a minimum I do think the government should limit advertising and crack down on incentives these sites gives to keep people hooked.

whatshisface10/01/2024

I think a proportion of income would work better, because $500 would be a lot for some people.

show 1 reply
tiznow10/02/2024

$500 per year? I know people who put a grand on FCS football on Fridays

datavirtue10/02/2024

They should be subject to KYC just like banks.