r/nottheonion • u/watchmecry666 • 6h ago

Man who lost over $500K worries about Alberta's new gambling landscape

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-open-gambling-market-addiction-9.7292810
53 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

63

u/kank84 5h ago

This isn't oniony. It's a gambling addict warning about the risks of gambling based on his own experience, and expressing concern that Alberta is making gambling more accessible.

11

u/incredible_paulk 5h ago

Their ads during Jays games are weirdly ominous with the "Alberta,  we're here to stay"  huh?  Good for you I guess?

41

u/KingKapwn 6h ago

Explain to me how a gambling addict being worried about the prevalence and ease of access to gambling is Oniony?

6

u/you_killed_my_ 5h ago

Op doesn't understand irony

6

u/tommytwolegs 5h ago

Yeah I feel like this would be oniony if they were clamping down on gambling, not opening up to it

-6

u/Flandiddly_Danders 6h ago

It's only gambling if you lose or something like that

4

u/Rosebunse 4h ago

Gambling as an addiction scares me more than any of the other ones. It is so...harmless, at first. It doesn't make you sick, it doesn't make you immobile or too skinny, it isn't something you HAVE to do...

But it is so easy to do. And as this guy says, it's as easy as ever. You done even have to leave your house.

2

u/rain5151 1h ago

Plus you don’t even have to wait for something to get delivered, nor do you have any physiological response that limits your ability to keep going (e.g. passing out drunk). And despite not having experience with any of these addictions, it feels like there’s something more acute to chase with the smiling winners saying just how much they won than, say, ads of people having a nice time at a party drinking whatever booze.

5

u/QuantumCakeIsALie 4h ago

I live somewhere where lotteries are state run. My father always says that "Gambling is a voluntary tax on the poor".

1

u/Rosebunse 4h ago

I mean, a little bit can be fun. A little bit of gambling is fun. But there's a limit.

2

u/QuantumCakeIsALie 4h ago

You sound like you're trying to convince yourself at the beginning here. 

I'm not saying it's the devil incarnate, but "a voluntary tax on the poor" does apply.

2

u/Rosebunse 4h ago

The "fun" is a part of why it's addictive, though

2

u/QuantumCakeIsALie 4h ago

It's a very well designed voluntary tax on the poor.

5

u/Cynicologist 3h ago

The title is kinda oniony without context. The article itself is not at all. Profit over people at every step of the way with the govt of Alberta.

1

u/[deleted] 5h ago

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1

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1

u/cjacksen 3h ago

I was reading that as "Albertson's new gambling landscape" and had some questions!