Gambling everywhere

[flowerseverywhere]

How in the world did so much sports betting invade our lives? I was shocked when I saw ad after ad during a recent football. I realized it when a friend was talking how he won $2000 on a game and he is doing a huge amount of research on odds, players and so on.

then there is this gem. Profiting on Maduros capture.

https://www.upr.org/npr-news/2026-01-05/a-400-000-profit-on-maduros-capture-raises-insider-trading-questions-on-polymarket

powerball mania.

Surely many people dabble in bingo, a few scratch offs and so on, but it seems quite risky for a world. full of social media, video game, alcohol, drug etc. addicts.

the Maduros betting seemed bizarre at the least.

[rosarugosa]

Wow! DH likes to buy the occasional Powerball and enjoys his scratch tickets (hey, it's his allowance to spend as he wishes), but that Polymarket thing is crazy!

[Klunick]

I have noticed the sudden surge of sports betting as well. My husband buys a Powerball ticket once a week even when the pay out is huge. He knows the odds are against him so why waste the money.

[bae]

I stick to betting on the VIX.

[happystuff]

I do occasional lottery tickets/scratch offs. I enjoy a good game of BINGO as well, but haven't been in decades (it's all about who you go with. LOL).

[iris lilies]

I do occasional lottery tickets/scratch offs. I enjoy a good game of BINGO as well, but haven't been in decades (it's all about who you go with. LOL).
I think bingo is boring, but probably because we played it year after year in our Iris society. This past year I put my foot down and said to the group “We are going to do something different.”

I made up an iris trivia game played with Jeopardy type categories where hard questions earned you more money. Everyone had a good time with that game and want to do it again next year.

[KayLR]

Then everyone acts shocked when an athlete or coach gets busted for betting. "Brought to you by Draft Kings."

[frugal-one]

I think bingo is boring, but probably because we played it year after year in our Iris society. This past year I put my foot down and said to the group “We are going to do something different.”

I made up an iris trivia game played with Jeopardy type categories where hard questions earned you more money. Everyone had a good time with that game and want to do it again next year.

Bingo here is very different. They play all kinds of things…z, flagpole, 2 bingos a card, x…never the same game and rarely regular bingo. Probably trying to engage the elderly minds?

[rosarugosa]

I've never played Bingo beyond the childhood version. I know some folks are pretty passionate about it.

[happystuff]

Bingo used to be one of the ways to "hang out with mom" way back when. Most of the places also had a variety of games like frugal-one mentioned.

[Rogar]

My folks used to take us kids to bingo in the Elks Hall on Friday nights. You could cut the cigarette smoke with a knife.

[rosarugosa]

My folks used to take us kids to bingo in the Elks Hall on Friday nights. You could cut the cigarette smoke with a knife.

Off topic, but I used to live my life in a cloud like that. Today marks 14th anniversary of freedom from tobacco for me and DH.

[Tradd]

Here in IL, we have gambling places all over. They have women’s names like Betty’s. Then there’s the sports betting. Plus we’ve had casinos for probably close to 30 years at least.

Very tired of the sports betting ads on the radio.