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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 18h

A stunning 21% of U.S. adults report being "hurt" by the gambling of someone they know. While "hurt" may be ambiguous, the figure is remarkably high and doesn't include children.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

Not the texts you want to get from a parent when you work in the gambling harms space.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

JUST IN: This might be the worst polling results for the integrity of US sports in recent memory. I can't recall it looking this bad across sports broadly.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

- President's son involved with largest PMs - CFTC chair's old law firm reps Polymarket - His old client led a Kalshi funding round Prediction markets are the swamp. Drain it.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

In the out-of-control world of social media gambling content, here is a TikTok video, viewed millions of times, of a Kalshi user saying he put his life savings of $33,000 on Super Bowl LX.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Washington State has sued Playtika, the maker of Bingo Blitz, alleging illegal gambling and the targeting of minors. The $225-million lawsuit mentioned Drew Barrymore's endorsement of the product, though she isn't a party in the suit. Read more about the case ⤵️

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

RIP Catherine O'Hara. Her best movie? Beetlejuice

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

One reason gambling has the potential to be so addictive is because it allows your mind NOT to wander. The hyper-focusing (i.e., living in the present) feels so good emotionally. This is often referred to as escapism.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The Golden Globes partnered with the gambling site Polymarket. During last night's Golden Globes, the show displayed odds, misleading viewers by calling them "probabilities." No hotline number, no warning that gambling is addictive. So-called "prediction markets" also have weak age verification.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

In September, Colombia banned Polymarket. It was a big win for the country's people. Colombia banned the platform for illegal election betting. But Polymarket also takes bets on the US bombing Colombia. Colombia had great foresight in banning Polymarket.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Great work by @dannyfunt.bsky.social reporting that CNN is actually being paid to show gambling odds in its "news" coverage (using quotes because idk if gambling odds even count as news). Another way to look at it: Kalshi is desperate for legitimacy in face of legal troubles over sports betting.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

New: Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that states are seeing nearly $1 billion in tax revenue per quarter from legalized sports gambling. Based on studies showing the Pareto principle in online gambling, most of the tax revenue comes from people suffering from addiction.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

How Betting App Push Notifications Fuel Gambling Addiction gamblingharm.org/push-notific...

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

FanDuel sports gambling ad in the U.S. The sports gambling industry is a true vulture.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

The working class becomes addicted to sports gambling and can’t afford tickets to games while the arenas become this. Late capitalism on display

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

In a startling interview with the NYT, Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki expressed interest in bringing yes/no stock market-style gambling for children to the platform.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Wildly, some bettors are even more interested in NBA betting after a scandal involving corrupted prop bets. Perhaps some bettors believe they can exploit the corruption to their advantage. This also highlights how a betting habit is difficult to shake, and a sports integrity scandal may not deter it

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

It does seem like we're close to crossing a Rubicon here, where a person murders a player over sports betting losses. The NBA players feel it coming, according to a report from The Athletic.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Have you ever seen John Carpenter's 1988 masterpiece "They Live"? If there was a remake, the online gambling sector, including prediction markets, would get a reference.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

On Tuesday, a MN Senate taxes committee blocked a study of sports betting legalization. A proponent of sports betting claimed that not sanctioning and permitting the ubiquitous advertising of an addictive product amounted to "abandoning" Minnesotans.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Proposed language in GOP budget reconciliation bill. This would presumably BAN any state from enacting a law to prevent or reduce gambling-related harm from the use of artificial intelligence. Illinois, for example, currently has a bill on the table to ban the betting industry from using AI.

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Brian Pempus @brianpempus.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

BetMGM in the US offering bonus offers on problem gambling pages.

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