Gambling flood

I was surprised by the low number of posts here although the online gambling has been legalized in the bigger part of the US for more than 2-3 years (I believe). I expected a surge in gambling addiction of epic proportions and consequently, an increased number of members on this forum. But it has been the contrary. The posts and the content on this forum has decreased.

Then I stumbled upon a Reddit post about a gambling addiction problem. And soon I discovered a couple of Reddit threads about gambling and the mystery is solved - there are tens if not hundreds of daily posts from new gambling addicts. It's a continuous stream of people coming out. And as you can imagine, the number of those reading without coming out is probably twice as much. The number of addicts is multiplying as feared, but the younger generations prefer using Reddit and social media.

The states opened the gates and the gambling flood is coming in full force. And we still haven't seen the worst yet. For many young gamblers it will take more than 4-5 years before they realize what is going on.

It's just so, so sad. It breaks my heart knowing how much pain, suffering and economic damage the gambling is going to cause to the society, and especially to the youngsters. It's depressing to see the moral deterioration, which comes amid increased division, intolerance, hateful and violent online rhetoric. Things are going to change eventually, but we will have a lot of (easily avoidable) suffering going on.

I agree as well. Here in Ontario, they legalized gambling from other countries a few years ago since it was a huge cash grab for our province. Many were against it, but money speaks. We now have many ads on the radio, TV and posters promoting gambling. Even through each ad discusses 'responsible gambling' at the end, I am sure many ignore those warnings. Compounding these sites with the detrimental effect of screens and mental illness with the younger generation, it seems inevitable that gambling addiction is going to surge in the next 10 years.

It breaks my heart too . Gambling addiction destroys lives and economies . It's one of the toughest addictions to beat and the relapse rate is staggering . The gambling industry is building their wealth on ruined lives and doing the bare minimum to mitigate the damage , all the while selling the pipe dream of instant riches to people who desperately need every dollar .

Sometimes I just despair for the world . What's it going to take to stop the madness ?

Any idea why not many people post here?

I think forums in general, not just here, have seen a bit of a decline- it seems more is discussed on social media now. And a lot of people just come to ask a question these days, rather than to join a community. Not sure about you, but personally, I prefer some anonymity.