We Haven’t Seen the Worst of What Gambling and Prediction Markets Will Do
We Haven’t Seen the Worst of What Gambling and Prediction Markets Will Do to AmericaI don’t think people have thought hard enough about how bad this could get.Derek ThompsonMar 26, 20262681363SharePhoto by Eyestetix Studio on UnsplashHere are three stories about the state of gambling in America.BaseballIn November 2025, two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, were charged in a conspiracy for “rigging pitches.” Frankly, I had never heard of rigged pitches before, but the federal indictment describes a scheme so simple that it’s a miracle that this sort of thing doesn’t happen all the time. Three years ago, a few corrupt bettors approached the pitchers with a tantalizing deal: (1) We’ll bet that certain pitches will be balls; (2) you throw…
