One thing not mentioned here, is how this also affects those not gambling. People act as if the only problem is how it exploits gambling addicts.

But it fundamentally changes sports. Both the amount of money in them, which comes with their own problems (see ManCity's judgement today). But also how players are affected. I know a soccer player in lower divisions getting death threats because someone in another country was gambling on their match. People try to bribe what's basically amateurs etc.

Gambling addiction is a brutal public health problem. As I understand it, gambling addicts have a very high incidence of suicidal ideation. When people work in these industries, their paychecks are directly coming from putting people into deep suffering.

Legalizing targeted advertising was a massive mistake too.

The previous reality for sports betting was mostly illicit, often with some goon using physical violence or threat thereof for collections. This is not to say the new reality is an improvement.

Should have at least nationalized it like lottery is in many countries to maintain some control.

In general, there is a bigger philosophical question.

Do we treat humans as

1) having full agency, and thus full responsibility for their actions

2) having less than full agency, and then to what extent must society/governments implement control over things that humans can't control within themselves

Because generally, if you subscribe to 1, there is nothing immortal from taking money from a human that that wants to hand it over, provided that human well knows what is at stake. So as long as these websites aren't defrauding the customers with fake stats, there really is nothing wrong.

If you subscribe to 2, then thats a much riskier line to walk because that affects a lot of things, not just gambling.

In my lifetime I've witnessed America accept new revenue sources by relaxing the moral code. First, it was allowing businesses to be open on Sunday. Then it was allowing liquor sales on Sunday. Then it was liquor ads on television. Then it was very controlled, state-run gambling (the lottery). Then it was casino gambling. Now it's online gambling and 'prediction markets'. Then it was recreational marijuana use. And so on. My point of reference is Missouri, where I grew up, but I think most states have followed a pretty similar path, all in search of new sources of revenue. I predict this trend will continue all the way to prostitution. Yes, that sounds crazy, but if you would've told me in the early-80s that Missouri would have casinos and legal weed, I would've considered that crazy.

We didn’t legalize it. These people are criminals.