America’s gambling boom should be celebrated, not feared
The gambling frenzy is mostly about people being free to enjoy themselves
A craze for betting is sweeping over America. This year Americans are on track to wager nearly $150bn on sports, having bet a paltry $7bn in 2018. Another $80bn is being wagered in online casinos; in the few weeks when election gambling was legal before the presidential vote, hundreds of millions of dollars were placed on the outcome. Even physical casinos are spreading. Soon the island of Manhattan could have its own casino towering over Times Square.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “America’s gambling frenzy ”
From the December 7th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
NASA is an obvious target for Elon Musk’s axe
Its Moon programme is a mess. But DOGE is likely to struggle to cut it to size
France steps into deep trouble
It has no government and no budget, and is politically gridlocked
Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea should resign, or be impeached
His coup attempt was foiled. But grave tests still remain for the country
Joe Biden abused a medieval power to pardon his son
The president’s reversal is understandable, humane and wrong
Lessons from the failure of Northvolt
Governments blew billions on a battery champion. Time to welcome foreign investors instead
How to make a success of peace talks with Vladimir Putin
The key is robust security guarantees for Ukrainians