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The Takeaway: Sports Betting Will Not Cause The End Of Western Civilization

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Maybe that headline is controversial in some corners. But I get really tired, like I am sure a lot of you do, seeing the takes that sports betting will lead to the fall of civilization. (That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.) The latest example was financial guru Dave Ramsey putting the gambling industry on blast in a video clip that has been making the rounds in the mainstream. “Online sports gambling is destroying a generation of young men,” the tweet said before launching into things like this: “FanDuel is a portal to hell. DraftKings ain’t king of anything except their pocketbook.” FanDuel is a sponsor of this newsletter with its Trusted Voices program. But if I legitimately thought FanDuel was a “portal to hell,” I would not work with them as a sponsor. Radical stuff, I know. It also doesn’t mean FanDuel — or the industry — is above criticism. It means I reject cartoonish critiques. There’s obviously some happy medium between “online sports betting makes the world a bette

The Takeaway: Sports Betting Will Not Cause The End Of Western Civilization Gambling news roundup: Maine legalizes online casinos, while bills surface in New York and Virginia; Polymarket partners with New York Rangers; Fliff will pursue DFS licenses. Dustin Gouker Jan 08, 2026 4 Share Maybe that headline is controversial in some corners. But I get really tired, like I am sure a lot of you do, seeing the takes that sports betting will lead to the fall of civilization. (That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not much.) The latest example was financial guru Dave Ramsey putting the gambling industr

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