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ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market

164 points · 157 comments · geox

  1. whatever1 · · focus · HN ↗
    All gambling should be state owned. It is a strict societal loss anyway, we can at least soften the overall blow.

    Losses can be redistributed and cover for the externalities of gambling. And we will be able to control the knob on how addictive we make them.

    For profit companies have the target to maximize their profit, so of course they will ramp up any method that can bring in more revenue.

    1. ramesh31 · · focus · HN ↗
      An advertising ban would solve 80% of the problem. This stuff has always been around for those who want it, and (arguably) in a free society should be. But shoving it down people's throats in every channel imaginable has to end.
      1. cm2012 · · focus · HN ↗
        As a professional advertiser: yes. Gambling ads should be illegal. Big issue is supreme court said states cant ban gambling ads due to first amendment.
        1. tayo42 · · focus · HN ↗
          Cigarette ads have a ton of restrictions despite that first amendment existing
          1. cm2012 · · focus · HN ↗
            Funnily enough cigarette ads were banned in 1970 before the Supreme Court regime that says you can't ban ads for a given legal product. If someone were to take the case to the Supreme Court, they could probably get cigarette ads un-banned.
            1. queenkjuul · · focus · HN ↗
              With a sufficient endowment to the Trump family, one can get anything they want from this supreme court
        2. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
          Certain porn is illegal despite the first amendment existing - the court merely invented a "nuh uh" exception, called "obscenity".
          1. cm2012 · · focus · HN ↗
            Current precedent is that states can ban almost anything they want, but if something is legal, you cant ban ads for it.
            1. beAbU · · focus · HN ↗
              Is it legal to advertise cigarettes in the US?
            2. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
              Point is the supreme court can just "nuh uh" anything they want to
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