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just pure extraction, has no tangible benefit to anyone apart from the bookies

Back during covid with nothing to do, I was betting more than usual, nothing crazy but far more active than I'd been in years. 365 sent me a message in site about my activity basically a check in to make sure I know the warning signs of addiction as I was on the site quite a bit.

Less than 30 seconds after that message they gave me a £5 free bet so I could continue gambling....

I always rail against betting. I fucking hate it.

I have a mate who is always trying to get me to "just sign up" cuz this app is giving a free $50 bet and he'll get a kickback for my registration, and he'll just give that to me if I want. Or this app does this, etc etc. He's not losing his home over his betting, he does small prop bets and shit and cashes out when he's ahead, but it's still fucking annoying, and clearly a minor addiction for him.

Basketball is my favorite sport, and one day I was watching a game, when I saw a Fanduel commercial that said people who placed a bet could get 3 months of league pass after placing their first bet or something along those lines. I was honestly tempted to do it just because having league pass would beat the hassle of always needing to find a stream, but it hit me while I was watching that that is EXACTLY how people become problem gamblers. They entice you with something that you want outside of gambling, and once you start, you can't stop. It's been getting worse and worse, and it seems like it's here to stay; NBA players can even invest in betting companies, it's pushed in every single commercial, and it's inescapable regardless of sport, Football, Basketball, American Football, etc. Gambling is super predatory, and I don't trust it at all.