Post #2637782

2026-03-06 05:28 UTC

I don't like gambling. I worry about regulation driving it underground, though. I'd rather just see winnings taxed heavily, immediately and without exception or deduction. Invest it in social safety nets and it's effectively forcing the winners to share their loot with the most vulnerable of the people they're victimizing.

Replies (4)

@minfapper@piefed.social 2026-03-06 06:03

won't that still have the same effect of driving it underground though?

Open ##2637784
@pomegranatefern@sh.itjust.works 2026-03-06 22:13

Gambling, like a lot of other things, is a high dopamine reward behavior which can be fun recreationally but also lead to serious addictions. Prohibition-only approaches to things like this tend to just lead to it becoming a widespread source of funds for organized crime, and so I tend to favor a public health perspective which involves legalization with heavy regulation and taxation + behavioral health support as a part of a robust safety net. That having been said, this to me is a strong indication that *there are some things it should not be legal to bet on.* But also I'm also pretty sure that this *is* illegal under the Commodities Exchange Act already? So this feels like either a loophole in emphatic need of closing, or, more likely, the law just no longer fucking mattering under this administration because too many of the enforcers are corrupt.

Open ##2637785
@Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip 2026-03-07 01:13

Except these bets can actually drive behavior. And they're betting on the murder of thousands. It's Incentivizing the acts. They need to be stopped

Open ##2637786
@jtrek@startrek.website 2026-03-06 15:04

That doesn't really address people betting on horrible things and then making them happen. Also "it will just go underground" is still kind of a win? The average person isn't going to navigate sketchy underground arrangements, but they'll find a slick website with good SEO.

Open ##2869672