Vice Principles

The weekend is approaching, so let’s check in on a couple of American vices (or virtues, depending on your stance). For many people, this is no ordinary weekend. It’s the first weekend in a long time without football. Or more to the point, it’s the first weekend in a long time without football to bet on. Some will take the weekend off from their newly legal habit. Others will take a less treacherous (and withdrawal-inducing) path and just bet on some other game. Maybe game is too broad. Modern gamblers (especially young men) bet on distinct aspects and parts of games. That’s how the action keeps going. These days, who has the attention span to wait the length of an entire game to see if a bet hits? The action never stops. The casino is always open. It’s right in your pocket. And it’s been supercharged by other tech and techniques that keep you glued to your device. “The apps are designed to be played quickly and aggressively to trigger repeated hits of dopamine and, eventually, addiction. ‘This has nothing to do with ordinary sports betting … Until you had online sports betting, nobody had ever bet on whether the next pitch was going to be faster or slower than 95 mph. You’re betting on all these micro-propositions. It’s just an opportunity to push the button.'” The Guardian: How the quick high of ‘fast-food gambling’ ensnared young men. Want a safe bet? Put your money on this trend accelerating. Gambling marketers are definitely laying their money down. “Over the course of an NBA or NHL broadcast, the viewer will see the logo of a betting company or hear some reference made to gambling 2.8 times per minute, according to a study. ‘ESPN is a 24-7 casino ad right now,’ says Dr Timothy Fong, an addiction psychiatrist and the co-director of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program. ‘The normalization has gone so deep, so fast. [Sports] gambling has gone so viral that it’s beyond normalization. It’s endemic.'”

+ The widespread legalization of sports betting has been a win for the House. But other constituents have suffered. Which brings us to another big legalization bet. Weed. The Atlantic (Gift Article): Legal Weed Didn’t Deliver on Its Promises. “Advocates touted a host of benefits and no real costs. That’s proven to be a fantasy.” (At least let me experience the host of benefits for the next four years, when I really need it…)

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