Do You Know Something I Don't?

Why has gambling become so ubiquitous (<-- I had to spellcheck that)?

When I was growing up, it was frowned upon to even talk about it during sporting events.

Now, it's their main sponsors.

Commercials full of gambling sites.

And now, with prediction markets added to sports gambling, you can bet on everyday life occurrences.

To occur or not to occur.

Now, I'm an asymmetric bettor.

But I never really gamble.

I mean, I did.

But no longer.

(Sorta).

What I'm trying to say is, gambling is today's drug of choice.

It always has been.

But it's ok now more than ever to be an addict.

I'm sure there are other temptations, but this one is about as mainstream as booze.

The thing about prediction markets is that there appears to be little safeguards against insiders wagering on their insider information.

Most know it one way, they know it another.

And they make a killing.

By definition, asymmetry.

It sure smells not legal, but we'll leave that there.

I'm torn here.

Because I'm pro-asymmetric.

Big fan.

And nothing says small chance at a big reward quite like an online casino.

It's just asymmetric bets like I like are capped.

Your risk is limited.

And for some, the problem is the capping part.

Knowing when to stop your losses.

Taking the L and calling it a day.

If this hits, I'm even.

That's the part that worries me.

The new drug of choice is dopamine.

We produce it naturally but it can be prompted quite unnaturally.

Sitting in front of screens, large and small.

Sweaty and exhausted from a game you only spectated.

I would never tell you how to spend your hard-earned energy and time units.

But this is not the best asymmetric bet.

Especially when everyone else is doing it.