alt Hacker NewsI can't find the original source, but I remember reading a study showing that this rise was closely correlated to states which had legalised or loosened laws on gambling!
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Are there markets where people can bet on bankruptcy rates too? Gambling increases bankruptcies, and then people gamble on the bankruptcies.
I can see the potential link there, but my intuition says that the SKYROCKETING cost of living is probably more to blame.
It's so disgusting watching how much sports gambling and "prediction markets" have exploded in recent years
Having recently seen a thread here where a lot of people threw a lot of shade on gambling: I really recommend finding that source.
That being said: I'm more likely to believe inflation to be the cause; and I think it's a bad idea to use this to fan moral panic
> In states that allowed online betting, the study reported a 10% increase in the likelihood of bankruptcy and an 8% increase in debt collection amounts — outcomes that tended to appear about two years after the practice was legalized.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/04/nx-s1-5773354/legal-sports-be...