The Thought Instigator
Anyone else put the hell off by the sports gambling ads in our progressive state of Massachusetts?
There’s a reason why sports betting outfits have to run blurbs in their ads for the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Hotline: https://gamblinghelplinema.org. Because gambling is a problem for a lot of people. Duh.
But when these advertisers use wealthy athletes and other rich celebrities to promote sports betting? When they use celebs to tout the thrill of separating excitable, even vulnerable people from their hard-earned money? And these wealthy, greedy celebrities actually choose to do that? And the pitch is concluded with a sped-up blurb to seek help if there’s a gambling problem?
That is unethical, immoral, and just plain wrong. Shame on them! These wealthy crud celebs are predators, same as the schmucks who hire them.
How about the ad that says they’ll show you how to refill your gambling account? Wow, thanks for helping us to lose even more of our limited money!
Or the one with the dopey young father whooping it up that he gets to gamble now, with his presumably impressionable teenager at this side – watching Daddy infer that sports gambling is cool. Disgusting.
The ads may be protected by the First Amendment. But that doesn’t make it right. That doesn’t mean it’s okay. It’s the difference of right vs wrong.
And I get the rationalization that consumers can just say no. But let’s be real. A whole hell of a lot of people live their lives vicariously through sports and especially professional athletes. We love celebrity. And when rich idols say bet it up? Well, we know how that goes.
Hey – want to gamble? Fine, gamble. Gamble your ass off; I don’t care. I do care, though, that the sports gambling industry is preying on sports fans by using rich athletes and other wealthy celebrities to hawk their cause.
And don’t rationalize it by saying the state will get more revenue from this. Seriously, just don’t. The state’s revenue was just fine before.
Let’s remember that gambling is always in the house’s favor. Always. And these rich celebs are the house’s pets.