zlacker

>>jimbob+(OP)
Legalising it? No.

Normalising it? Yes.

Unfortunately, our culture seems to have two settings: legal ban; full celebratory embrace. We don’t seem to be able to handle tolerating and discouraging (see smoking, which is slowly being banned across the once-civilised world).

Should the awesome power of the State be deployed to wield violence against people who bet money on sports? No, that’s insane. Should there be half a dozen betting ads every hour on primetime TV? No, that’s crazy too.

>>eadmun+zs2
Prior to legalized sports betting, was "state violence" used against people who bet on sports as a casual hobby? It seems like it was basically tolerated as long as it was kept amongst friends/coworkers, etc.

>>stevie+8U2
> Prior to legalized sports betting, was "state violence" used against people who bet on sports as a casual hobby?

Yes: Sal Culosi was shot and killed by police in Virginia for wagering more than $2,000: https://reason.com/2011/01/17/justice-for-sal/

I am certain that there are more — that’s just one which leaps to mind.

>>eadmun+f33
You left out that the officer who shot and killed him did so by accident during the arrest. The police are not out there killing people "for" betting as you said.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110615051217/http://www.foxnew...