If you think sports betting is bad, just wait until we see prediction markets (a more generalized betting industry) get a couple of sympathetic judges to rule that betting on US elections is a perfectly fine thing to do.[1]
"Nearly half the states, including Wisconsin, are locked in legal battles with Kalshi over who should regulate prediction markets. States insist the companies are no different than gambling operators and should be subject to state gaming laws, whereas Kalshi and the Trump administration say the federal government should oversee prediction markets as a financial product known as 'a swap.'"
"As the legal fights bang on, the bets keep pouring in."
"Big sporting events, like the NBA Finals and the World Cup, saw tens of billions of dollars wagered. The companies expect the midterm elections to be another massive event."
"Yet that vision conflicts with another reality: Election betting is illegal in some or all circumstances in 32 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures."[1]
It's too bad we have a President who sees insider trading as a feature and not a bug.[2]
Thanks, Steve. Great article and I learned a new word today. Agentic.
I am averse to serious gambling but sometimes buy lottery tickets and play a little poker. I once lost $43 to slot machines in Gulfport. It took me six months to get over the trauma. Never again.
Failing to teach basics, especially in STEM subjects, is a real threat to education. Smart kids are flunking out of science and engineering majors (or do not even enroll) because of the somewhat tedious process of deriving and understanding basic concepts.
The fact that Harvard freshmen are receiving remedial instruction is alarming. I have also read that certain a demographic of young males is actually betting a lot more than investing! But I also think you will agree that the absolute domination of embedded sports betting metrics being shown during live broadcasts makes it almost unavoidable. I went to a Mats/Yankees game at Citifield and was absolutely shocked to hear young men behind me betting on strikeout odds for a batter while he was at bat and while the count was still changing. Just like Amazon the fact that they can bet on these apps so easily and without actually watching the dollars fly out of their pockets makes it too easy.
Exceptional post Steve; exceptional. Watching as the country swirls into the depths of horrible choices, the article captures and even worse scenario. Politician's will be politician's; our own self-destructive acts/actions are even more soul crushing...we can stop them, too many choose not to.
This phrase struck me: "AIs don’t understand the concept of cheating, honor, or following ethics." As i read the article, my first thought was, It is way more than AI that doesn't understand those values.
Finally, this week i read a headline that baffled me and it fits nicely with this piece; kind of says it all: "Elon Musk’s xAI sues Minnesota over law to ban ‘nudification’ apps."
My daughter completed the 4th through 6th grades in 2 years because the 4th and 5th grade classes in her school were a size that could not accommodate every student in each grade level in separate classes. She made the decision on her own and with our support she in essence skipped a year of school. When she started 7th grade, she was required to take a reading course. I tool note of the books she read as part of the class and while there wasn't anything really wrong with the books they were books we were expected to read on our own and really didn't add to her critical reading skills. When asked about the types of books that were expected to be read as part of this class, the teacher explain that he did not care what type of book his students read, only that they read something. At the time I was shocked to hear such nonsense being spoken by a teacher. That was in the mid 80s and now having experienced grandchildren going through the education system it has become a sad joke as to what is expected of our children. How can reading skills be maintained if the critical reading skills aren't worked on or expected?
If you think sports betting is bad, just wait until we see prediction markets (a more generalized betting industry) get a couple of sympathetic judges to rule that betting on US elections is a perfectly fine thing to do.[1]
We are not a serious people.
[1] https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/election-betting-voters-face-highest-stakes
"Nearly half the states, including Wisconsin, are locked in legal battles with Kalshi over who should regulate prediction markets. States insist the companies are no different than gambling operators and should be subject to state gaming laws, whereas Kalshi and the Trump administration say the federal government should oversee prediction markets as a financial product known as 'a swap.'"
"As the legal fights bang on, the bets keep pouring in."
"Big sporting events, like the NBA Finals and the World Cup, saw tens of billions of dollars wagered. The companies expect the midterm elections to be another massive event."
"Yet that vision conflicts with another reality: Election betting is illegal in some or all circumstances in 32 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures."[1]
It's too bad we have a President who sees insider trading as a feature and not a bug.[2]
[1] https://www.npr.org/2026/07/27/nx-s1-5905360/kalshi-wisconsin-election-betting-prediction-markets
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/01/trump-truth-social-early-access
Yeah, it's just prop bets - so gambling.
Thanks, Steve. Great article and I learned a new word today. Agentic.
I am averse to serious gambling but sometimes buy lottery tickets and play a little poker. I once lost $43 to slot machines in Gulfport. It took me six months to get over the trauma. Never again.
Failing to teach basics, especially in STEM subjects, is a real threat to education. Smart kids are flunking out of science and engineering majors (or do not even enroll) because of the somewhat tedious process of deriving and understanding basic concepts.
The fact that Harvard freshmen are receiving remedial instruction is alarming. I have also read that certain a demographic of young males is actually betting a lot more than investing! But I also think you will agree that the absolute domination of embedded sports betting metrics being shown during live broadcasts makes it almost unavoidable. I went to a Mats/Yankees game at Citifield and was absolutely shocked to hear young men behind me betting on strikeout odds for a batter while he was at bat and while the count was still changing. Just like Amazon the fact that they can bet on these apps so easily and without actually watching the dollars fly out of their pockets makes it too easy.
The unholy trinity of A.I. in education and the workforce: never-skilling, mis-skilling, and de-skilling.
As for sports betting…nobody misses a layup, or an empty net, or a gimme out anymore….they’re cashing in on a prop bet.
Exceptional post Steve; exceptional. Watching as the country swirls into the depths of horrible choices, the article captures and even worse scenario. Politician's will be politician's; our own self-destructive acts/actions are even more soul crushing...we can stop them, too many choose not to.
This phrase struck me: "AIs don’t understand the concept of cheating, honor, or following ethics." As i read the article, my first thought was, It is way more than AI that doesn't understand those values.
Finally, this week i read a headline that baffled me and it fits nicely with this piece; kind of says it all: "Elon Musk’s xAI sues Minnesota over law to ban ‘nudification’ apps."
May God help us all. Thank God i am old.
My daughter completed the 4th through 6th grades in 2 years because the 4th and 5th grade classes in her school were a size that could not accommodate every student in each grade level in separate classes. She made the decision on her own and with our support she in essence skipped a year of school. When she started 7th grade, she was required to take a reading course. I tool note of the books she read as part of the class and while there wasn't anything really wrong with the books they were books we were expected to read on our own and really didn't add to her critical reading skills. When asked about the types of books that were expected to be read as part of this class, the teacher explain that he did not care what type of book his students read, only that they read something. At the time I was shocked to hear such nonsense being spoken by a teacher. That was in the mid 80s and now having experienced grandchildren going through the education system it has become a sad joke as to what is expected of our children. How can reading skills be maintained if the critical reading skills aren't worked on or expected?