this post was submitted on 22 Oct 2023
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[–] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 68 points 1 year ago (6 children)

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.

[–] JewGoblin@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 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

[–] archomrade@midwest.social 13 points 1 year ago

Mississippi grind is an absolutely incredible depiction of just how sad and devastating gambling addictions are. I can't recommend that movie enough (as long as you're ready for some sad storytelling).

Livestream online gambling is another one of those absolutely abysmal modern exposures that is going to completely destroy the lives of young men as they grow up, and I can't believe it's still legal

[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] tehfishman@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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 9 points 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.

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[–] Zana@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] Grayox@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm so sorry for your loss, hope you are doing ok.

[–] Zana@lemmy.world 2 points 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 3 points 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.