On Gambling

When I was living in Europe I noticed a distinct cultural difference from the United States when it came to sports gambling. Sports betting is very legal and extremely popular. It’s not only just being online, there’s sports gambling cafes you can walk into and place a bet.

Gambling and sports are completely intertwined in Europe (and in Asia, Australia). There is no separation between them. This struck me as unnatural to me, as an American. Sure, we have Las Vegas but for the most part, if you grew up in America during the 20th century you didn’t gamble on sports. You just watched sports. You had a team, and you rooted for it without any financial stake.However, that era is coming to an end. The past few years have seen a flurry of states legalizing sports gambling. It will soon be unanimously legal. This is happening faster than marijuana legalization.

Sports will eventually merge with gambling like in the rest of the world. You want to feel some “action”? Put 100 dollars on a team, or on a parlay.Is any of thisLindy? or was the American style no gambling allowed purity of watching sport

Lindy?

Sports Gambling History

Gambling, much like organized sports likely predates recorded history. Organized sports also have a long history.Given the prevalence of both sporting contests and gambling across many ancient civilizations, it is natural to conclude that the combined activity of sports gambling also has a long history. And, indeed it is widely reported that gambling was a popular activity at the Olympics and other ancient Panhellenic events in Greece and at the racing and fighting contests in ancient Rome.

Problems associated with gambling were also widely reported. As early as 388 BCE, the boxer Eupolus of Thessaly was known to have paid opponents to throw fights in the Olympics. Gambling has deep roots.During the Middle Ages, gambling was frowned upon by the church, it was still part of taverns and inns.Even dice were loaded

There are few immutable principles of sports betting, but one thing is certain: If a game is being played, people are going to gamble on it. America, however, has always banned sports gambling. This is a unique position. But no surprise.America also banned alcohol during the prohibition. Prohibition–the thirteen-year stretch, beginning in 1920, during which “the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors” was outlawed in the United States. Think about that. Every restaurant you go in serves alcohol. Alcohol is everywhere. It serves the main social lubricant for people to get together. America made it illegal. On grounds of morality and that it could potentially lead to degeneration.No other country in Europe would even think of doing that. Alcohol has been part of culture for thousands of years.The old American emphasis on morality was a potent force. And it lasted for a long time.

But that America is slowly fading away.These past years, that’s changed. Sports gambling is now legal. It feels very weird to be saturated in gambling ads during the game. As someone who grew up in 20th century America I find gambling on sports kind of strange and off-putting. Obviously, it is exciting. There is nothing like rooting for a team with your money on the line.Every young guy I know, even the guys in college, is making a ton of bets every week. Most will be fine, but I’d bet in about 10-15 years some nasty gambling addictions are going to rear their heads and ruin some lives.

Addiction

Whenever something stimulating gets introduced into American society, people tend to take it to the extreme.

For example, Obesity or Drug use

We can probably expect some something similar with sports gambling. At least until we figure out how to moderate it.But the old morality laws of America are falling. Led by a leftist - libertarian ethos of “let people do what they want to do” A country that once made drinking alcohol illegal is now legalizing marijuana, sports gambling, and soon prostitution and polygamyAmerica's Self Correcting System

Indoor carpeting became popular during the 1950s American housing boom. the carpeting industry sold went from selling 6 million square yards of carpeting to 400 million yards in 1968

Fast forward to today. Hardwood floors are back. People are ripping out carpets. They don’t want them.Rugs may belindy, but indoor carpeting isn’t.The same thing happened with food. Most 20th century American food was terrible.In this famous picture, Boris Yeltsin is shocked at how well stocked an American Supermarket was in 1991.

all that food was junk. It was all preservative filled crap. Think of Spam or tv dinner. Stuff that is supposed to be easy to make in a microwave.