• Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I have personally seen gambling fuck up way more lives than drugs, and this was before it was being shoved down our throats. It’s honestly disgusting how shameless the advertising has been, getting people to gamble like degenerates in “garbage time.” Or poking fun at people “losing their shirt” in Buffalo. And don’t even get me started at how they are using fantasy sports to get kids hooked early.

    Fuck this so much. I know entire families - children, parents, grandparents - who’ve been put through hell over this.

      • tehfishman@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Man I really feel for that guy. I know it’s easy to poke fun because it’s the Internet, but he’s clearly in genuine emotional pain

        • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yeah no if he blew all his money on booze we’d be sympathetic to him as he’d be obviously a serious alcoholic. This is an addict suffering at the hands of his addiction.

    • JewGoblin@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      yup, I worked at a horse track when I was in HS, and the gamblers AKA addicts had the exact same behaviors as drug addicts.

      poor people getting exploited by the rich, but legal

    • Zana@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My step dad committed suicide after losing our rent money at the video poker machine at the bar.

      It had such a big impact on our family that four years later my mom did too after struggling with depression over it.

        • Zana@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Thank you, it’s been five years since the loss of my mom. You never get over it, just better at dealing with it. I was never close to my step-dad.

    • steeznson@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The fantasy sports are all about evading local gambling laws. Since only a handful of states even allow sports betting the only way to operate in those states is to have something which is legally distinct from gambling (even though it clearly is). It’s similar to pachinko parlours in Japan.

      • Grayox@lemmy.mlOP
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        1 year ago

        It doesn’t matter if they choose to start, it matters that they weren’t able to stop, gambling and alcohol have both been extremely normalized in our society and are destroying lives. We shouldn’t have ads shoved down our throats for industries that profit off of destroying people’s lives for a quick buck. Shit aint right. I’m not saying make the industries illegal, just make the ads illegal. Saying drink responsibly at the end of an alcohol ad isn’t making anyone less of an alcoholic. And the tiny ass barely readable gambling addiction hotline isn’t gonna help anyone with a gambling addiction from getting hooked on sports Gambling which is one click away on the app store.

          • techt@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            It matters from a cause-and-effect standpoint, but you’re callously and self-righteously blaming their whole situation on it. That you stop trying to understand the situation at that point reveals that you’re using it as an excuse to blame peoples’ suffering exclusively on their personal choices to feel better about yourself. That completely ignores any circumstances, predatory draws, nonstandard brain chemistry, or other factors outside of their control and assume they had perfect, complete knowledge of the situation and consequences at the time – which is honestly silly.

          • Grayox@lemmy.mlOP
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            1 year ago

            Hmmm then maybe we should make ads glamorizing gambling illegal. I really dont understand what you are trying to say with your comments here…