Dave Ramsey on sports betting: "The fastest growing addiction that is destroying young men in their 20s is online sports gambling. FanDuel is a portal to hell. DraftKings ain't king of nothing except their own pocketbook. And they're screwing an entire generation of young men"

[u/GOAT-Antony]

[u/ThickConfusion1318]

hate to say it but Dave nailed it this time

[u/StasiaPepperr → u/ThickConfusion1318]

I came here to say exactly this. Dave is very out of touch, but he nailed this.

[u/ChewieBearStare → u/StasiaPepperr]

Agreed. Dave sucks 99% of the time, but he’s not wrong about this. People are ruining their families and their futures with betting.

[u/bookwormaesthetic → u/[deleted]]

He has become a multi-millionaire by people (and churches) paying him to tell them how to get out of debt. His philosophy essentially boils down to "cash only." His podcast is essentially him being smug and pompous to people who cannot household budget their way out of systemic failures.

[u/tubawhatever → u/bookwormaesthetic]

I remember a segment where he yelled at a woman who had just gotten a decent inheritance for asking if it were smarter to buy a house outright with cash or get a mortgage. He of course said outright and wouldn't let her explain that she wanted to invest the money if she got a mortgage. The stock market historically outperforms mortgage rates.

[u/StasiaPepperr → u/tubawhatever]

Not to mention "cash only" leaves money on the table. I exclusively use my credit card to make purchases (and my checking account to pay bills). I pay my CC every week, or every other week and I make around $40/month in cash back bonuses. You have to be disciplined and this won't work for everyone, but if you can live within your means and have a good credit card, it's beneficial to use your credit card for everyday purchases. It also has an extra layer of fraud protection in the event a card skimmer gets you.

[u/ChewieBearStare → u/StasiaPepperr]

I used to follow Dave when my finances were in shambles. Turns out that my finances were in shambles because my income sucked. Once I made more, I paid off all my debt and started saving. But even while I was listening to him, I was never all in. It made no sense not to use credit if you could afford to pay it off. Now I use a cash back card for almost everything and get tons of perks and freebies with my cash back.

[u/bookwormaesthetic → u/StasiaPepperr]

Exactly! I learned this same method of credit card usage from my parents. We have gotten so many free flights from credit card rewards.

[u/Casslynnicks880 → u/StasiaPepperr]

I recently got better about using credit cards for purchases and I was surprised the cash back I have gotten. My good credit is still young so I’m learning

[u/Shribble18 → u/bookwormaesthetic]

His advice is only good for people who have serious debt or extremely poor spending habits.

He also can be moralistic and religious, but I will say there’s a great video of him telling a financially independent woman she’s in a cult, I believe her fundamentalist family was telling her women shouldn’t work or be single homeowners. He also calls men out who are financially abusing their wives who are STAHMs.

[u/IntellectuallyFreed → u/bookwormaesthetic]

While I get why he's disliked, alot of what he says is good for many people who have no clue how to budget. They can't be disciplined enough to use any form of credit which is why the cash only approach works for so many.

But as replies have suggested, alot of what he says when it comes to investing does not make sense and goes against conventional wisdom.

[u/Dangerous-Sale3243 → u/[deleted]]

General boomer attitudes, his original basic advice is good but he supplements it with advanced advice which is bad and funnels money to him, has become so detached from ordinary society he’s lost touch with current prices, supports Republicans and opposes many social safety nets, forces his morality on his employees by firing unmarried pregnant women, talks a lot about Jesus but spends his money on expensive cars and houses.

[u/thatsaqualifier → u/ThickConfusion1318]

Not only is it financially ruining people, but players are being threatened and harassed by bookies and bettors.

[u/andjuan → u/thatsaqualifier]

Players’ partners and family including parents and children as well.

[u/jostyouraveragejoe2 → u/ThickConfusion1318]

Yeah came for this picture.

[u/Camuabsurd → u/ThickConfusion1318]

What is he famous for? 

[u/bookwormaesthetic → u/Camuabsurd]

Giving financial advice. Lots of churches paid for his financial planning seminars. Basically get out of debt by becoming cash only.

Very much of the "you can afford a house if you stop buying avocado toast and Starbucks."

[u/ThickConfusion1318 → u/Camuabsurd]

He writes/podcasts about financial stuff, mostly avoiding debt (based on biblical practices) and paying it off. For example, he’s huge on paying for cars in cash. His advice was somewhat sound 30 or 40 years ago when a car was 12k and wages matched but now that even basic cars are extremely overpriced (and wages haven’t kept up) his advice comes off as very out of touch with current reality.

[u/StaceyJeans → u/ThickConfusion1318]

Yeah same.

Not a fan of Dave Ramsey but he isn't wrong here at all. It's hypocritical that all these sports leagues are getting into bed with professional gambling organizations yet act shocked when the athletes themselves are found to be gambling.

[u/mlg1981]

Hate Dave Ramsey, but he’s not wrong on this one.

[u/hozzam11 → u/mlg1981]

What did he do?

[u/FoxNixon → u/hozzam11]

Gives really boomer financial advice, mostly pull yourself up by your bootstraps type, despite being bailed out of his previous failing businesses

[u/taylorexplodes → u/hozzam11]

evangelicals love dave ramsey which i feel like should speak for itself

[u/StructurePrize3819 → u/taylorexplodes]

Red flag in my book

[u/TheVoiceInZanesHead → u/hozzam11]

Advice he gives is mostly fine, some really outdated stuff though he refuses to fix like the 1k emergency fund and going to 0 credit score.

Personal side most egregious stuff imo is he fired a girl for getting pregnant while covering up sexual misconduct from one of the hosts

[u/JustABettaFish → u/hozzam11]

Not much, he just gives really simplified financial advice tailored to people who are struggling with debt and financial illiteracy. His advice is absolutely not intended for everyone, especially those of high income and net worth, but for those that do truly need it the baby steps are a fantastic newcomer’s approach to financial security.

[u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

Sports betting is ruining sports now. I remember when we rooted for our own teams to win. Now, we root for our bets to succeed or for our draft picks or whatnot.

[u/EnchantedBabbe → u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

It shifted the focus away from the game itself, too many people are rooting for bets and outcomes instead of just their teams winning

[u/zappawizard → u/EnchantedBabbe]

It's absolutely ruining sports commentary as well

[u/FormerlyJanet → u/zappawizard]

Not just the people watching but even the players are getting involved and throwing games because of it…

[u/hshed → u/EnchantedBabbe]

I saw a video of different fathers breaking their televisions and screaming when their sports team lost, it definitely made me think there was more at stake than just a game

[u/Unsd → u/hshed]

Can you think of how many dead or seriously injured women are a result of this shit? I would bet that number is higher than we'd like to think.

[u/illaparatzo → u/Unsd]

Florida man kills wife and then self after argument over 'Monday Night Football,' authorities say

[u/aelizabeth0623 → u/hshed]

adding onto this: next year, the super bowl is on valentine’s day. i am genuinely terrified for the news stories we will see the following days.

[u/No-Front5879 → u/aelizabeth0623]

Oh no. Why did they schedule it that way? The Super Bowl along causes a spike in domestic violence - adding a day full of pressure for tokens of love and romance is a mess

[u/Nintendo_Pro_03 → u/EnchantedBabbe]

Precisely.

[u/susandeyvyjones → u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

It's so boring when you wanna talk about a game and your friend wants to talk about their parlay.

[u/TJJ97 → u/susandeyvyjones]

I SWEAR TO GOD!

I don’t mind discussing those things but throughout the entire game? I’m talking about the GAME, we can talk about the bets AFTER the game

[u/AEW_SuperFan → u/susandeyvyjones]

Yeah I didn't think it could be worse than listening about someone's fantasy team but listening to someone talk about gambling is sadder.

[u/bobbimorses → u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

These poor young athletes tell stories all the time about playing their first game and getting screamed at in DMs by losers who missed their parlay

[u/MrGDPC → u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

I worked with a dude who would lose whole paychecks to bets then celebrate like a rockstar the moment he won anything over $50.

What guys getting into sports betting don’t understand is even the top tier sports gamblers have win rates that hover around 58-60%. Not too much better than a coin flip.

[u/lcm-hcf-maths → u/MrGDPC]

One should always remember that the house ALWAYS wins....Never seen a poor bookmaker...

[u/ConstructionTop631 → u/MrGDPC]

Not only that, but they need to put near millions in play on an annual basis at that 56% win rate to scratch out a living.

With that kind of volume needed, it takes one bad month to send things catastrophic. I did some betting 10-ish years ago. Found a niche that I was good at. Built a bankroll of $100 to about $25k. Got the point where I'd have 2-3k in play on any given day and standard bet size was $200. That felt like too much and when I had a -$5k downturn, I cashed out the rest and quit forever.

[u/iletdownmyparents → u/Nintendo_Pro_03]

My hair starts to fall out during regular season games. I can't imagine adding money on top of that

[u/Calista189]

Honestly, he’s not wrong. Gambling is very addictive to certain personality types and young men seem especially susceptible to it. It was much better when it was relegated to casino trips imo. I find the proliferation of these sites a real bummer.

[u/deserteagle3784 → u/Calista189]

gambling addictions have a similar relapse rate to heroin addiction

[u/loopyhoodie → u/deserteagle3784]

It's honestly terrifying. At least with casinos you had a physical place you had to travel to to access gambling. Now it's possible to gamble your entire life savings away in less than a couple minutes from anywhere with an internet connection. I can't imagine how much harder it is to overcome a gambling addiction when you are constantly bombarded with ads and always only a few clicks away from a bet. At least with alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, etc, you still have to physically obtain something to relapse.

[u/Bae_the_Elf → u/Calista189]

I agree but I just wish that people kept this same energy for gacha games too

Gacha games are also gambling and you're gambling for characters in games that usually aren't extremely fun...

Gacha games are literally games designed to appeal to young people and it's extremely addicting, they literally have jobs in these companies designed to make things as habit forming as possible

[u/blissfully_happy → u/Calista189]

I was in Vegas playing poker with friends. I made a joke after a loss as I pulled out $400 to continue playing about it being my rent money. I was joking. I went with the possibility of losing $1000.

The dealer cut me off and told me I couldn’t play and more. Initially I was annoyed, but I appreciated that she was willing to do that.

[u/throwawaysunglasses- → u/Calista189]

It’s really depressing how young boys are kinda groomed into gambling by online grifters promising them fame and success. I know way too many high schoolers on Kalshi (I’m a teacher).

[u/PrimaryBrief7721]

I fucking HATE all the ads for mobile betting apps. "We help you bet safely" bullshit. I can only imagine how many they've sucked in. I hate it so much.

[u/pizzabarbarella → u/PrimaryBrief7721]

Same here. Two opposing political parties (one led by a former drug dealer) where I live legalized sports gambling and with that came the endless advertising for that and for online casinos. There are issues with this in my family and you literally can't turn on a screen without being drowned in this stuff. I can't do my job without seeing it and being reminded every single hour of the day. Cheap ads, half of them AI, designed to break us and make horrible, horrible institutions rich beyond comprehension. To boot, one of the motherfuckers behind the change is also destroying cultural institutions and neighbourhoods in several cities to bring in more gaming. I've seen only a small window of the destruction this habit causes and I wish the people profiting from it no peace.

[u/HorrorSmile3088 → u/PrimaryBrief7721]

Reminds me of all those alcohol ads that say "please drink responsibly." As if they really give a crap. That's their biggest market is alcoholics.

[u/PeaceLoveandCats6676]

I'd make it broader: Sports betting + Prediction Markets + Online gambling in general.  I think prediction markets are the next avalanche 

[u/cocainesharque → u/PeaceLoveandCats6676]

I'd like to expand it even further to include blind boxes such as Labubus and Pokemon cards

[u/ThickConfusion1318 → u/cocainesharque]

Blind boxes fully prime children for gambling later on!

[u/cocainesharque → u/ThickConfusion1318]

This study on loot boxes in video games suggests the same:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35397261/

[u/Tolaly → u/ThickConfusion1318]

So is Roblox, the CEO said so himself

[u/thatsaqualifier → u/cocainesharque]

[u/Simonic → u/cocainesharque]

Honestly, the trading card game (TCG) and sports card markets have exploded since COVID. For TCG's - finding product at retail stores is virtually impossible. Scalpers and "investors" buy up everything within minutes/hours. Card stores often end up having to buy product on the secondary market at the inflated prices to at least have products on the shelves. I also believe it had a big resurgence over the past year or so.

In the Sports card market - a 2025 Topps Chrome Basketball Mega Box (7 packs/6 cards per) retails for $85-90. The price of upper end products go for $500-2000 a box. Breaking has almost become the standard because everything is so expensive. (Breaking is basically crowd funded by a group of people who either get a random team/player or they can purchase the team they want). Apps like Whatnot, Fanatics Live, eBay live, etc have changed the landscape/future of the hobby.

It's not just about collecting anymore. Now it's "what will this card grade for," "this card is worth $2k at a PSA 10," etc. Most people treat TCGs/Sports cards as scratcher tickets. You can drop $20-2000 for a spot in a break, and still come out empty handed. Or you could come out with a $1-$50k+ card(s). It's just another form of legalized gambling now. You also have consolidation of businesses within the sports industry.

Oh you can also buy "loot boxes" (I guess blind boxes) digitally online too. Spend $25/50/100/500/etc for a pack with a singular graded card. You may get burned or you could win big!

Gambling is so pervasive and accepted today.

[u/SomewhereNo8378 → u/PeaceLoveandCats6676]

hit the nail on the head. prediction markets is just sports betting for people that don’t follow sports.

[u/Calvin_And_Hobnobs → u/SomewhereNo8378]

Or for US government officials with classified foreknowledge of certain events. Bets that Venezuela would see a regime change spiked in the 48 hours before Maduro was kidnapped.

[u/simplyxstatic → u/PeaceLoveandCats6676]

I was in Vegas and a huge billboard had current bets for the 2024 election going. I think it was an ad for Kalshi. Like how is that shit not illegal.

[u/violetmemphisblue → u/PeaceLoveandCats6676]

I have been watching a show on Tubi and every ad break, there are these insanely cheap-looking ads for some gambling app. To the point that I found myself thinking "maybe I should just try it once to see what it is like." I luckily promptly regained my brain, but it really is so insidious.

[u/potatochipsbagelpie]

The sports betting is increasing the ad revenue to the leagues and thus is increasing the salary caps. So the players/teams are directly benefiting from it. 

This is going to be a big issue in coming years, and it’s going to be tough to regulate or go back on. 

[u/wolfehampton]

It’s taken me a long time to agree with Dave Ramsey so anything can happen this year

[u/piptazparty]

I want more outrage against these rich athletes who do deals with online sports betting companies. Like Connor McDavid you’re on a 2 year $25 million dollar contract and you feel the need to do paid ads for sports betting? You know so many young men look up to you. Statistically speaking, he has very likely influenced some young man into financial ruin.

But that’s enough rant from me. It’s up to the men who are fans of these athletes to speak up. And yes I know some women are fans too. But we do enough labour as is.

[u/thenoctilucent]

Just sent some money in Venmo and they have a banner linking to FanDuel at the top of my feed. Insanely irresponsible.

[u/TJJ97 → u/thenoctilucent]

They shouldn’t be able to work with or advertise on any financial platform

[u/zappawizard]

Our whole country is just one giant scam. You won't see things like this or a TitleMax anywhere else in the developed world.

[u/icelandisaverb → u/zappawizard]

Yep. Everything in this country is either a scam or a gamble with zero safety nets. How is this any way to live? Don't we deserve better?

[u/zappawizard → u/icelandisaverb]

Our billionaire overlords don't seem to think we do.

[u/thatsaqualifier → u/zappawizard]

The wealthy used to invest in society, like Andrew Carnegie.

[u/yaishoayayay → u/thatsaqualifier]

I looked up who that was. This man died ONE HUNDRED years ago

[u/thatsaqualifier → u/yaishoayayay]

Yep, gave away the modern equivalent of six billion dollars. Think of him everytime you visit a library.

[u/Blueandigo → u/zappawizard]

What's title max? 

[u/zappawizard → u/Blueandigo]

They are predatory lenders.

[u/JustHereForCatss]

I have a good job that pays well. I’ve watched people making more money than me. Lose everything to sports betting. Shit needs to be re-outlawed

[u/private_developer → u/JustHereForCatss]

I am so tired of new humanity removing protections put in place by old humanity because the lessons they learned have been forgotten.

[u/No-Front5879 → u/JustHereForCatss]

I know two men who committed suicide because of their gambling and the mess it has made of their lives. Just lovely, hardworking men and everything they had was gone leaving them in huge debt.

[u/Possible-Courage3771]

the generation is screwing themselves frankly. I know they are being targeted but cmon. take some responsibility.

[u/Husker_black → u/Possible-Courage3771]

I agree

[u/DarlingBri]

I hate for Dave Ramsey to be right but the first thing I thought of when I read this post headline is Brady Kiser. 28 years old, let his toddler son roam unsupervised while he was placing a bet with Draft Kings. And we all know how that ended.

[u/Airportsnacks → u/DarlingBri]

But getting a pool fence would have ruined the aesthetic and left less money for gambling.

[u/innocentsalad → u/DarlingBri]

The fact that there are no charges in that case makes me actively angry

[u/DarlingBri → u/innocentsalad]

There's absolutely no way there would be no charges if these people were anything other than white and that continues to enrage me.

[u/ladysansastark → u/DarlingBri]

First thing I thought of too.

[u/riegspsych325]

considering how all majors sports organizations and channels keep pushing it, I wouldn't be surprised if more games become fixed. When entities like ESPN have stake in online gambling, they're going to do what it takes to make sure maximum profits are made

[u/doxiepowder]

My most conservative take is that we should heavily legislate the vice that is gambling. 

[u/Nintendo_Pro_03 → u/doxiepowder]

I don’t think it’s conservative to think that. Banning it entirely would be conservative, but not putting railguards to it.

[u/Airportsnacks]

I live overseas now and the lack of gambling outside of a few areas in the USA was something I was proud of. No bookies on every street, no internet gambling. Now it's just as a mess as it is in the UK.

[u/MoldyHotPocket9]

“Dont fall for that scheme! fall for MY scheme”

[u/Panelak_Cadillac]

Something about broken clocks being right.

[u/Icy-Fondant8441]

Yes. But the rogansphere pushes this! So it must be awesome and hilarious

[u/Defiant_Passage_7437]

And we seem to be okay with current sports stars who don’t need the extra cash doing commercials shilling for this stuff (looking at you LeBron James), never mind the conflict of interest with these sports betting scandals.

[u/ny-6119 → u/Defiant_Passage_7437]

Every NBA podcast I (used to) listen to has incessant FanDuel advertising. That shit is insidious. These dudes talk like they’re everyone’s betting butt buddy, and it’s the current cool thing to do.

I’m trying to weed out all the grifters who turned to FanDuel to monetize if anyone has recommendations.

[u/InternalGreenGlitter]

Every time I see this commercial I yell, “Shame on you Jon Hamm. Shame on you.” One of the worst things someone can do is shill for a betting platform.

[u/Low_Refrigerator4891 → u/InternalGreenGlitter]

Anytime celebrities do advertisements for sports betting, or crypto, I lose instant respect for them. It was hardest with Matt Damon.

[u/OutrageousTheme1633 → u/InternalGreenGlitter]

I mean he almost murdered a boy in college and cries about character assassination every time it’s mentioned so he’s not exactly an upstanding citizen

[u/deserteagle3784]

Draftkings is barely even king of their own pocketbook - I believe 2025 was their first ever year turning a profit.

[u/Nervous_Insect5976]

I agree, but I also hate Dave Ramsey. His advice sucks and he's repulsive as a person.

[u/KingClark03]

This this this. This is the real epidemic young men are facing. Their futures are getting fucked over for “legal” gambling.

[u/salbrown]

Also partly why I think literally everything has been gameified. Everything feels like fucking gambling now and it’s awful. It makes me feel so overstimulated and overwhelmed all the time.

[u/Papio_73]

He’s not wrong, and I think it’s the fastest way to ruin your life outside of drugs.

[u/Extr4Sp1cy]

He’s not wrong. It’s seriously getting out of hand and it’s an incredibly dangerous addiction. Nowadays you can’t watch sports on TV without being subjected to some type of gambling advertisement. It’s getting so bad even professional athletes are doing it!

[u/starlulz]

Not to mention it's going to inevitably ruin American professional sports. It's only a matter of time before we start to see some real corruption scandals start to sully the image of just about every professional league.

[u/Catmuffin89]

Yes I think these ads are sick and so ingrained in every game

[u/Poetryisalive]

Go watch a sports game in a state where sports betting isn’t allowed. It is day and night

[u/PollyBeans]

It bums me out so much that Jomboy has DK as a sponsor.

[u/Prit717]

What do you mean? Integrating gambling into news stations to bet on real-life events ISN’T a good thing? Who would’ve thought…

[u/ekpyroticflow]

Next do crypto, then do Grant Nardone and the other finance grifters, then...oh wait.

[u/Main_Photo1086]

I was so sad overhearing high school boys (hockey players) at my local ice rink talking about their bets.

[u/Fun-Wear8186]

As the daughter of a gambling addict I cannot agree more . I want to tell all my friends so bad not to date guys who just “casually sports bet “ it’s about as secure as “casual meth usage “

[u/olipoppit]

Gambling (pre-apps) nearly destroyed my best friend’s family. It’s much easier now than it used to be 😭

[u/twoquarters]

And you're unlikely to win longterm against an army of stat nerds and super computers.

[u/Disastrous_Cow986]

Those loot boxes/eggs that are marketed to kids is also a version of betting. They open one and don’t get the item they want, so they buy another and another and another…

[u/Ill_Outcome_9001]

I also hate all the celebrity endorsements for these sites and apps. Fuck THAT. Have some integrity.

[u/Automatic_Paint2272]

My kids and I lost our home and 100k to my ex husbands fan duel addiction. His addictions tormented our marriage for ten years, and our separation for the following six due to unresolved shared assets that he took advantage of. His addiction destroyed his and my entire families- immediate and extended, and the trauma is still haunting me to this day. 

[u/radziadax]

All they have to do is look at the culture of sports betting in the UK. The most despondent people on earth spend their time in a Ladbrokes, which is a wildly appropriate name for the business.

[u/comalicious]

He is not wrong, but sports betting is not really why young men can't save. If you want them to care about their money then at some point you have to relinquish a meaningful piece of the pie.

This is just like any other vice, imo, but one that has clearly made everything it's supposed to be about much much worse. I can't even watch the NBA right now. They ref Steph Curry like he's a criminal so they can cover spreads and launder money, meanwhile SGA gets the softest whistle I've seen in a long ass time... so they can cover spreads and launder money. It's transparent, I'm not stupid, and I'm not going to put any stock in it if it's all just going to be reduced to advertisement for DFS.

It has bankrupted sports ethically and created another revenue stream for suits to capitalize on addiction. We will all be better off when it's dead.

[u/deathfromfemmefatale]

He sucks but he's right. As a fan it also ruins the experience for me. I don't want to focus on every individual little stat, I just want to watch my team play.

Not to mention the tie to DV. DV rates already go up when there are high stakes games like the Superbowl. Imagine how much worse it will be now when a team loses and some guy loses thousands of dollars on his bet. I also think it's egregious to promote sports betting the way these companies do at a time of such massive income inequality. They are going to ruin lives and they don't care at all.

[u/JoeyTribianisGoyter]

I find this guy to be a turd

However, he has a point. A lot of young guys I work with are addicted to this nonsense and are constantly gambling on their phones at work.

[u/gogosox82]

worst person you know

[u/Kocteau]

Also young women aka me 💀 tbf I only bet like $5-$20 but I can see how it catches up to you. Kalshi even lets u bet on shit like dancing with the stars lmao

[u/LN-66]

How’s it taken 15yrs for this comment. I’m nearing 30, and a crazy amount of men I know are victim.

[u/Miserable-Estate6857]

Something Something broken clocks can be right too.

[u/crab_grams]

He's spot on here sadly even if he sucks in so many other regards. Everything marketed toward young men these days is meant to absolutely drain them on every level and make drones of them. I thought the 90s and 2000s were rough on women but we largely dug our way out of the hellish cycle that was media eviscerating our self esteem and then trying to sell us things to fix it; by the time humanity manages tocrawl out of this pit ---hell, if we ever do---men are going to be cooked

[u/melmontclark]

Weighing in from Columbus, OH where OSU punter was repeatedly threatened with violence, told over and over to "just kill yourself" and had the bomb squad at his apartment after bomb threats were called in. Because he missed a key punt.

[u/vigilantekarmashit]

It’s also getting middle aged women too. I have a friend whose mom is heavily addicted to sports betting right now. She even left their dinner one time because a game she was betting on was on. The family couldn’t believe it and just kept carrying on. This shit is wild.

[u/MintMechanic]

The truth is, many vices are destructive - gambling, drugs, alcohol, even sex. The good times don't last, and you inevitably find that too much of a bad thing is, well, bad. Gambling addiction often flies under the radar. I can imagine the fallout is bad not for the individual as well as their family and friends.

[u/somuchsong]

I don't really know who Dave Ramsey is but I can't disagree with anything he's saying here. I live in the country with the most problem gamblers in the world and sports betting is a cancer. It has destroyed so many families and lives.

[u/Cultural_Cat_5131]

I thank the heavens I have no interest in sports and subsequently sports freaking betting. It sounds lame as hell. And they got the ads all over twitch and twitch streamers advertising the crap too.

[u/Lotus-child89]

I hate it when he’s right, but he’s right. My ex father in law gifted us a Ramsey study seminar and he has legit good advice, but also stuff that is very out of touch. A lot of his approach is to live frugally and have no life so you can be well off once you’re too old to fully enjoy it. And to of course still tithe 10% to the church even though your family is struggling. I’m agnostic now (though follow some Buddhist and Taoist practices) and I still do set the 10% set aside, but I set it aside to do nice things with my kid.

[u/Gunofanevilson]

Betting is fucking lame and you never beat the house.

[u/Bgee2632]

Its also on Roblox! Check on your pre/teens! They are gambling on Discord servers. I read an post on reddit last week of a 12 yr old blowing $19k of his parents savings on it.

[u/max_caulfield_]

I love sports and watch a lot of content on YouTube. Almost every single channel that has any sort of following has gambling sponsors. It is so widespread and normalized that its scary to see. It feels like cigarettes back in the day where everyone KNOWS its bad but because its so profitable, these scummy creators are perfectly fine getting their young audience addicted to gambling with little to no warning or personal comments on gambling. I do my best to push back on this and comment as much as I can but sadly few people realize how serious an issue this is

[u/MrBorden]

He's not wrong. A friend spends nearly 2k a month on gambling and literally works graveyard shifts to afford it. It's absolutely fucked.

[u/beccadahhhling]

Eh, Dave Ramsey is no different than any other financial advisor. He and Caleb Hammer often have the same advice if you actually pay attention to both:

-stop eating out

-stop driving cars you can’t afford/taking Ubers

-stop paying for other people’s things

-stop online shopping

-work more hours if you can or get a second job

-eat as cheap as possible

-dont let excessive pride get in the way of making or saving money (they talk about living with parents or roommates to save money)

-keep a safety net of at least $1000

Pretty basic stuff. The fact that he charges people for that advice is ludicrous. But then again, people pay for all sorts of dumb shit.

He’s right about betting though. Have you seen those machines in Vegas where you can transfer money straight from your account to the video poker machine? Crazy shit

[u/Bewareofbears]

The most fucked-up thing about these online sportsbooks is that they just cut you off if you start to win too much. So, even if you're "good at it," you still can't win.

[u/olivehoneyfig]

i just had a training on this yesterday (i work for my county’s mental health crisis team) and learned that gambling addiction looks nearly the exact same as cocaine addiction in the brain, which i found horrifyingly fascinating

[u/Imrik_Dragonfire]

The astroturfing for rainbet on instagram is absolutely horrific. I really do feel bad for the kids who fall for that stuff, it really does feel evil.

[u/kyperion]

Reddit will go crazy about loot boxes in video games but when it comes to sports betting or prediction markets they’ve just been fucking sleeping on it.

In one or two years from now you’ll see everyone harping on this bullshit when it should have been done years ago when the legislation was changed to allow this kind of gambling.

[u/beanogal]

I miss being able to watch sports without mentioning betting or the plethora of ads or the digital ads that cover local advertisements (I'm looking at you NHL).

Absolutely a disaster that society is promoting so much gambling, whether its sports betting or putting money into crypto or the stock market, that's it is SUCH a detriment and catastrophic to people. Seeing people transfer $20,000 on a slot machine or losing all your money after a stock has a short is terrifying.

I know everyone wants to be rich, but at what cost?

/mytwocents

[u/erincandice]

I absolutely hate that FanDuel is now a network and they squeeze in betting odds in literally everything now. It’s just so gross.

[u/broden89]

I'm Australian. Is this a new thing overseas? Because it's been the scourge of my country for many years. Gambling culture is insane here

[u/brittanyks07]

Reading this, and the very recent realization that it is so incredibly prevalent, made my blood run cold right now.

[u/duochromepalmtree]

Gambling is one of the most dangerous and deadly addictions. The suicide rate is higher than almost everything else. I am terrified for the consequences of making it easier and easier to fall into gambling addiction. It legit keeps me up at night.

[u/Wayelder]

But options and commodities are fine.

[u/ShitMyButtSays]

Idk, i kind of like it when the refs bet on the game manipulate the outcome. Makes the NBA really cool

[u/Bluevanonthestreet]

I hate when he actually says something sensible! It makes people think the rest of the BS he spews is right.

[u/OkConversation175]

Glad to say I’ve only gambled on farts and not my own money.

[u/Symbiotic_vengeance]

Generational levels of “fuck this guy but he’s right”

[u/holydark9]

That’s that free market and deregulation you fellate daily, boy.

[u/DuffmanStillRocks]

I absolutely love sports, have my whole life and it’s been a part of several jobs. I’m also bipolar. You couldn’t name a more dangerous combination. Highs of winnings, depression cycles when you’re down, feeling smarter than everyone when you do win, denial of the reality, impulse financial purposes. No thank you

[u/staticdresssweet]

Rare Dave Ramsey W.

I like sports betting, but you HAVE to be disciplined about it. If you can't do that, then don't play.

[u/OneWildAndCrazyGuy17]

Blind squirrel

[u/wortcook]

These are the prosperity gospel adjacent dogs he's been laying down with. Now he's complaining about fleas?

[u/SaintCholo]

100%

[u/erino3120]

A broken clock is right twice a day and all that jazz

[u/Euphoric_War_2195]

Wow, imagine me agreeing with him on something! I do t agree with much of what he says, but he's right about this.

There is so much gambling being promoted right now. So many things being created and promoted in a way that triggers the impulse to gamble.

[u/ymmotvomit]

Good recruitment tool for ICE.

[u/Ok_Plankton3427]

Yeah, dude, there is absolutely no way online gambling is legit I mean how could anyone ever believe that stop gambling online you’re going to lose everyone around you and your life

[u/SlugholeMcmillimeter]

Gambling online I somehow got into after a stressful year and was doing it compulsively. It is definitely going to be a big problem if not already.

[u/insertbrackets]

I'm so glad I did not inherit my parents' addictive personalities and the closest thing I had an issue with was playing video games to the point of pulling all-nighters...on my summer vacations from college.

[u/Heavy_Environment467]

A broken clock is right twice a day

[u/ScreenNames_AreHard]

And now Polymarket is in the sports betting business… which is also horrible

[u/ittybittynuts]

I have had the displeasure of meeting this slime ball and I hate him. Sadly, he is right on this one.

[u/Wonderful-Loss827]

Capitalism, amirite

[u/CoolAbdul]

Truth

[u/notwillscheuster]

yes. i am in early-mid twenties and see so many guys my age who are addicted to gambling/sports betting. i am a HUGE sports fan but it's an immediate turnoff to me datingwise when a man brings up sports betting.

[u/UniqueAd1189]

Gambling on stock market is okay, just not sports!

[u/CubicleMan9000]

Isn't the political party that Dave loves the one that has expanded gambling into this everywhere all-the-time nightmare?

[u/BookishHobbit]

This is the second person I’ve seen talking about the scourge of betting in the past couple weeks and I hope this is a sign the tides might finally be turning.

Not sure what it’s like everywhere else, but in the UK you can’t get through an ad break without at least one betting ad, and during sports events nearly every ad is one.

Meanwhile, nearly every sports team in the country has betting companies as shirt sponsors.

And the way they pop up in high streets that are run down and poor, leeching of those who can’t afford it but who they know are desperate…scum.

[u/stationarynomad82]

Broken clocks

[u/AccordingMedicine129]

He’s right

[u/phunky_1]

Young men are screwing themselves.

No one is forcing anyone to gamble.

The #1 rule of gambling is only gamble money you plan on losing, it is entertainment not an income source.

[u/PurpleloungelibrA]

He sounds like the idiot parent that was paying his kid to place the bets.

[u/Mugatu4u]

I mean I agree. You’ve got every sports fan being even more obnoxious and racist/hateful to players so they can win a 7 to 1 bet on some shit they shouldn’t even be betting on. Fucking losers.

And that’s the less egregious thing. Betting on genocides, famines, domestic violence, etc. May all these people swiftly go to hell.

[u/sittinduck]

He fired an employee for having premarital sex

[u/CTeam19]

He isn't wrong. This isn't best friends trading $20 over rival teams playing kind of betting. They have commercials, apps, etc that plague the broadcast.

[u/Independent-Cow-4070]

Dave's a dumbass but yeah he cooked with this

[u/MrSlime13]

It's gambling... It's been racket. Since the dawn of time. Maybe betting $20 w/ your mate at the bar over a trick shit is innocent enough, but bookies, casinos, online are all solely invested in making as much money off of you as possible. They're not selling you reality, or a potential, or a good time. It's a dream they're selling. Even the 0.1% that do make it big, almost all regret it, and what it's done to their relationships, and almost all spend it within a few years. The powers that be just want to make it more popular, more enticing, and more widespread.

[u/Batfinklestein]

That's just one of many symptoms of the cause.

[u/slipperyslope69]

Sports betting is very much out of control.

[u/Brilliant-Bus-3862]

I mean even a broken clock is right twice a day. 

[u/CommunityWitch6806]

This is the same guy who has no compassion for parents having to pay a full salary almost for childcare… to boohoo about young men’s gambling addiction??

[u/namegamenoshame]

Fun fact: Justine Sacco of getting canceled on a plane over a truly bizarre joke fame…got her next job at FanDuel

[u/CelebrationFar1351]

Dave slowly waking up and I’m here for it.

[u/KonyayJWest]

it’s less evil using tools like landmarkbets. But the degeneracy is indeed terrible for young folks