Thread

ER visits for gambling disorders doubled after expanded online gambling market

164 points · 157 comments · geox

geooff_ · 1789582155 · focus · HN ↗
> In 2024, Ontarians wagered $82.7 billion CAD on these sites through 2.6 million player accounts.
Truly astounding numbers. Without a doubt, online gambling is the most preventable public health crisis of our generation. None of this had any business getting legalized.
1. wombat-man · 1789583490 · focus · HN ↗
  Wow, good thing I'm a curmudgeon who only wants to bet at an IRL sportsbook. A place I only get around to visiting every few years.
  No good can come of me having a gambling app, I already fool around too much with stocks.
  1. imglorp · 1789591644 · focus · HN ↗
    I was just coming to say the prediction markets are probably way, way worse for society; sports or otherwise. For one thing, they'll be around a trillion dollar market in a few years[1]. How is that in any way a good thing? For another, every bettor on a prediction market is incentivized to use insider information at best, or even to influence the outcome at worst. This is a low point of civilization.
    1. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/14/prediction-markets-will-grow-to-1-trillion-by-2030-bernstein-says.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/14/prediction-markets-will-grow...

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