For every sophisticated punter trading on superior knowledge to win at sports betting or online poker, there are dozens of loser-suckers. There have to be, otherwise the system does not work.
And I really don't like the "money for nothing" ads pumped out relentlessly by the State lotteries. I once had a secretary whose retirement planning consisted of buying lottery tickets. She would not listen to me when I showed her the math. Lotteries are a tax on poor folks who can't do math.
I would certainly agree that the state has no business running a gambling operation, which is what most are doing. Of course, the state seems to be doing many things it shouldn’t be doing lately.