The NHL embracing sports gambling was a major mistake

[Ford Prefect]

League doesn't care about anything except making money. They'll sell their souls if it means more money in their pockets.

In this context I think you meant they'll sell their players' souls.

 

[NyQuil]

However, your post makes me wonder what viewers who watch game rebroadcasts 50 years ago will think of our gambling habits.

“What? The BET365 League used to be called the NHL????”

 

[JianYang]

The Flintstones wasn’t written as a children’s program, and smoking wasn’t as taboo as it is today. However, your post makes me wonder what viewers who watch game rebroadcasts 50 years ago will think of our gambling habits.

I'll take your word for it being marketed for adults.

I remember seeing Flintstones vitamins as a child in the stores. I also remember a Flintstones theme park near me which I loved as a kid. That's where my perception comes from.

 

[Johnny Rifle]

“What? The BET365 League used to be called the NHL????”

Shhh…. Don’t give them any ideas.

 

[JPT]

That’s not telling you to gamble

Just like cigarette ads aren't telling you to smoke, alcohol ads aren't telling you to drink, car ads aren't telling you to buy a car, etc.

They're just trying to get you to do those things is all.

 

[StammerHammer]

Too much money involved for it not to be influencing games.
There's an old saying: "follow the money".

 

[NyQuil]

Just like cigarette ads aren't telling you to smoke, alcohol ads aren't telling you to drink, car ads aren't telling you to buy a car, etc.

They're just trying to get you to do those things is all.

My favorite TV commercial is this one that talks about the feature on its app to temporarily lock yourself out of gambling, presumably to enjoy important things in life (they show a kid’s birthday and camping IIRC).

It basically acknowledges that its product is so addictive that you have to be able to prevent yourself from using it in order to enjoy life.

I’m sure the feature helps against liability if someone tries to sue them for being too easy to gamble with.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

Why should the NHL’s job be protecting grown adults from making their own stupid decisions?

One of the problems is that kids are watching these games and watching these overly intrusive, non-stop gambling ads...you know, those with brains which have not fully developed...and the gambling companies know this.

 

[Chet Manley]

I watch games via cable and a DVR so rarely see gambling adverts. Also completely pause/skip the second intermissions on Sportsnet since they started discussing gambling odds. Out of curiosity is there a way to avoid all this crap when I eventually drop cable? Like are there streaming services with DVR type capabilities? Hopefully someday we can just tell an AI to filter out advertising.

 

[patnyrnyg]

The Flintstones wasn’t written as a children’s program, and smoking wasn’t as taboo as it is today. However, your post makes me wonder what viewers who watch game rebroadcasts 50 years in the future will think of our gambling habits.

Flintstones were originally a primetime show ala The Simpsons.

 

[123TripleDoge]

Never understood the appeal. Only time I ever gambled was putting a quarter into a slot machine on my bday and won a 1.25. The ads are annoying though.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Never understood the appeal. Only time I ever gambled was putting a quarter into a slot machine on my bday and won a 1.25. The ads are annoying though.

A curious thing is that we here in Vegas largely become immune to gambling generally, just by virtue of being around it all of the time. The hockey betting ads are, however, quite offensive. The local casinos generally don't push gambling at all (they draw people in with concerts or other events), so the only time that we see gambling so openly -- nauseatingly -- pitched and promoted is with the NHL.

When folks in Vegas hate the gambling ads, you know they are bad.

 

[Sorry]

Gambling is the new gateway drug being pushed on the youth. It's in the same river basin as debt.

I miss the days when casinos were seen as filthy traps for the desperate degenerate. Sure, I've thrown a few down on a table or two in my day. I had to go there, be of age, and have the funds to blow. These apps are disgusting. They prey upon, and have access to, millions of people who would never have had the inclination to place a bet in their lives.

The scary thing is that it has become so mainstream for the youth that they almost see it as another pay to play video game. Why shouldn't they? Spending money for some skin in a game is the same as losing money to the house. They have been conditioned.

 

[wraithsonwings]

I've never heard of anyone beating up their wife after ... losing all their money.

I'm sure this happens, probably a fair amount.

 

[T REX]

I watch games via cable and a DVR so rarely see gambling adverts. Also completely pause/skip the second intermissions on Sportsnet since they started discussing gambling odds. Out of curiosity is there a way to avoid all this crap when I eventually drop cable? Like are there streaming services with DVR type capabilities? Hopefully someday we can just tell an AI to filter out advertising.

Unless the NHL, NBA, MLB etc passes on the money from advertisers DIRECTLY to the consumer...that will never ever happen. Ever. You're talking about TENS of BILLIONS of dollars. It would be cost prohibitive.

 

[12ozPapa]

So… no one is an adult anymore? It’s up to companies to not advertise and make sure the “youth” understand to not gamble?

I hate it all, don’t get me wrong, but this whole “protect people from themselves” thing is ridiculous.

 

[Silky Johnson]

Wow, when did this site get populated by so many puritans?

Gambling, like all other vices are only a problem if you make them a problem and people who get in trouble with it will likely find another way to f*** up their lives.

I enjoy a bit of gambling much like I a good drink or the occasional evening joint. Just don't use any money you can't afford to use. I don't want the fun police trying to nerf the world.

Gambling adds seem to be a good source of revenue for the league and are helping keep the NHL the dominant hockey league in the world.

I am very aware that this will be an unpopular opinion but I don't really don't really care what the pearl-clutchers think. Frankly I am sick of people telling others what to do and hope for a culture of individual freedom and accountability.

 

[Jyrki]

Wow, when did this site get populated by do many puritans?

Gambling, like all other vices are only a problem if you make them a problem and people who get in trouble with it will likely find another way to f*** up their lives.

I enjoy a bit of gambling much like I a good drink or the occasional evening joint. Just don't use any money you can't afford to use. I don't want the fun police trying to nerf the world.

Gambling adds seem to be a good source of revenue for the league and are helping keep the NHL the dominant hockey league in the world.

I am very aware that this will be an unpopular opinion but I don't really don't really care what the pearl-clutchers think. Frankly I am sick of people telling others what to do and hope for a culture of individual freedom and accountability.

There's a difference between gambling being allowed, and gambling being baked into the product you're watching and shoved down the audience's throat at every turn. It's not a hard distinction to make at all

 

[willy702]

Wow, when did this site get populated by do many puritans?

Gambling, like all other vices are only a problem if you make them a problem and people who get in trouble with it will likely find another way to f*** up their lives.

I enjoy a bit of gambling much like I a good drink or the occasional evening joint. Just don't use any money you can't afford to use. I don't want the fun police trying to nerf the world.

Gambling adds seem to be a good source of revenue for the league and are helping keep the NHL the dominant hockey league in the world.

I am very aware that this will be an unpopular opinion but I don't really don't really care what the pearl-clutchers think. Frankly I am sick of people telling others what to do and hope for a culture of individual freedom and accountability.

I agree with you 100%. Fact is almost everyone who posts in here either doesn't gamble or did it only a little. If it's something your are not interested in, then yeah of course it sucks and shouldn't exist. But that ignores the rights of many adults to be able to do what they want just because you don't like it. Attempts at shaming people for almost anything are out of control everywhere. Few seem able to say hey that's not for me, but whatever, you do that if you want.

For the people who think the ads have ruined the game, get real. Were there no ads before gambling came along? Is the game not the same now that there are 4 less beer ads a game? I don't know if the leagues did the right thing with this whole official sponsor stuff, they could have allowed ads without going that far. And surely the media could have shown restraint in limiting the share of ads that are gambling. But since they didn't, you just say it's the gambling companies fault?

The harassment stuff is ridiculous. If you threaten someone that's a crime. Why not treat it as such, as in what does it matter why a person decided to threaten another? And athletes, if stupid people making idle threats cause they lost a bet bother you just stop reading it all. Do you really think you're entitled to social media being 110% positive about you and having nothing but the nicest things said to you? This one is the most laughable. You mean to tell us until gambling came along no one ever said negative things about you?

And lastly, this whole stuff about fixing and influence has been said for many decades with no proof of anything. Yeah a ref got caught shading games for his bets, a scrub basketball player took himself out of a game early a couple times, a star here or there missed a couple shots in a game because he got some money, etc. Is this really a reason to say you don't watch sports? Regulated sports betting finds these things a lot more often than not. Understand that truth before you go spouting off about how the game has been ruined. Saying you don't want gambling around will never lead to the end of gambling.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Never understood the appeal. Only time I ever gambled was putting a quarter into a slot machine on my bday and won a 1.25. The ads are annoying though.

Did you give it right back to the slot machine or did you manage to hold onto your windfall?

 

[johnjm22]

Millions of Americans are problem gamblers – so why do so few people ever seek treatment?

Treatment has a high success rate. Getting problem gamblers in the door – and getting them to complete a full course of therapy – is another matter.

theconversation.com

Despite some hand-wringing over the expansion of sports betting, I believe any increase in the rate of problems is likely to be temporary. A review of 30 years of research on the prevalence of problem gambling and gambling disorder reveals a pattern. More gambling availability tends to lead to a spike in the number of people reporting gambling issues in the short term. However, populations tend to adapt over time; the rate of gambling problems decreases accordingly.

I don't really see what the big deal is. Some occasional gambling is fun.

The OP claimed "A large segment of fans who have become addicted to sports gambling" without any real data to back it up.

About 1 percent of adults get addicted. Its like any other vice. Use in moderation.

 

[Le Rosbeef]

Gambling is the new gateway drug being pushed on the youth. It's in the same river basin as debt.

I miss the days when casinos were seen as filthy traps for the desperate degenerate. Sure, I've thrown a few down on a table or two in my day. I had to go there, be of age, and have the funds to blow. These apps are disgusting. They prey upon, and have access to, millions of people who would never have had the inclination to place a bet in their lives.

The scary thing is that it has become so mainstream for the youth that they almost see it as another pay to play video game. Why shouldn't they? Spending money for some skin in a game is the same as losing money to the house. They have been conditioned.

"Never spend more than you can afford to lose."
Sounds simple, right? Not for those who have struggled with pathological gambling addiction, of whom I work with many.
Biggest problem for youth is the accessibility - you're right about casinos. You can now find 100+ markets on Venezuelan 3rd division soccer at the tap of an iphone...

The bolded part, I sort of agree with but skins are a determined outcome. You pay for something certain (even if you and I might not think it worthwhile). The far bigger issues are with the likes of EA where you pay to open packs with non-predetermined outcomes. That's the absolute definition gambling; it's dangerous, it's entirely unregulated and its creating a generation of young people desensitised to it, and will spawn many more with gambling addictions.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Wow, when did this site get populated by do many puritans?

Gambling, like all other vices are only a problem if you make them a problem and people who get in trouble with it will likely find another way to f*** up their lives.

I enjoy a bit of gambling much like I a good drink or the occasional evening joint. Just don't use any money you can't afford to use. I don't want the fun police trying to nerf the world.

Gambling adds seem to be a good source of revenue for the league and are helping keep the NHL the dominant hockey league in the world.

I am very aware that this will be an unpopular opinion but I don't really don't really care what the pearl-clutchers think. Frankly I am sick of people telling others what to do and hope for a culture of individual freedom and accountability.

Gamble all you want, just don’t tell me what the updated live odds are, on an offside whistle.

 

[ShootIt]

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[FriendlyGhost92]

Didn't their ad revenue go up by like $1.2B when they started adding sports gambling?

Yeah. It ain't ever going away...