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Recently, there has been an expansion of online betting in the United States.
Almost overnight, it seems popular hosts, anchors, radio and television broadcasters include
Bet Over/Under (sports) wager prospects right after local weather updates. This infusion of
betting discussion has invaded the most routine portions of everyday life. It feels surreal.
I have to ask: Is this good for our culture?
For years, our culture has endorsed public campaigns aimed at curtailing
the behavioral risk of addiction. In decades past, "Just Say No! was a popular campaign designed
to combat drug involvement, while Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) challenged society's social
behavior of drinking and driving. You could walk on public transit in major cities and see posters
framing buses and trains reinforcing the dangers of drug, alcohol, and gambling addictions.
In juxtaposition, now you find commercials extolling the benefits of public
gambling with what appears to be an afterthought of mandatory gambling addiction warnings spouted off at lightning speed.
It reminds me of an arbitrary drug commercial promising to cure heartburn, but you may suffer a stroke
and go blind after usage. Of course, the risk of such side effects is ‘significantly insignificant,’ but nonetheless,
it is listed.
What is really going on here?
I don't know, but I am concerned that the shift in messaging is harmful to the well-being of people. For example, here are some of the broadcast messages I grew up with:
1. Drug behaviors can lead to drug problems, which can lead to drug addictions.
2. Alcohol behaviors can lead to alcohol problems, which can lead to alcohol addictions.
3. Gambling behaviors can lead to gambling problems and gambling addictions.
So, if the messages that went out over the airwaves when I was growing up were true, why are they not true now?
Maybe raising awareness is a necessary step in addressing the impact of societal shifts.