In considering fantasy sports sites and the controversy now surrounding two of them, I have two reactions.
First, I'm glad that people are paying attention to this issue. Let's keep the heat on as their pitfalls become more and more evident. The problems are starting to become all too real. Here's a statement from The Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ. Also check out this article.
Call this "breaking news" - well, while doing some unrelated searched, I came across a headline and WOW! Had to finish and publish this post. There is an investigation. Will be watching this one, for sure! There seem to be so many breaking developments! Nevada is shutting down the sites from doing business in their state. And a fan is suing!
Second, it has occurred to me that there is a larger issue we should be discussing. Our society seems to be preoccupied with gambling (irrespective of whether we call fantasy sports sites 'gambling sites' or not). Think about it.
All but 6 of our 50 states have lotteries.There are also multi-state lotteries. But the revenues they produce often don't match promises, and can be funneled away from their intended targets. They also hurt low-income folks. This article has a good overview.
There also seems to be a proliferation of casinos. This story speaks of casino proliferation and the challenge of funding treatment for problem gamblers.
We must hope that this controversy helps to raise awareness of the pitfalls surrounding fantasy sports sites and the larger issue of gambling in our society (and in other parts of the world, too). The cost can be all too human. I remember that on the one cruise (and are there any cruise ships without an onboard casino?) I went on, my cousin and I met a woman whose husband was a problem gambler. She said it had really taken a toll on their lives. Let's hope we can find resources to lead folks in more positive directions.
Related Post (Just in case you missed the original or updates...)
This blog discusses issues of social justice (in an inclusive sense), civil liberties, human rights, other social issues, and offers thoughts on society and humanity in general from a progressive, feminist perspective.
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