A sports expert is calling out DraftKings and Bill Simmons for what he calls a “misleading” petition he encountered at a grocery store.

“The online sports gambling scam. It really, really angers me,” author Jeff Pearlman (@jeffpearlmanauthor) writes in a text overlay of a viral TikTok. In his video, he explains why he believes sports betting applications are “disgusting.”

Numerous folks who responded to Pearlman’s clip remarked that they agreed with his assessment.

A ‘misleading’ petition

The story starts at a supermarket, where he sees a man holding a sign outdoors. It turns out he was asking shoppers to support homeless veterans. The gentleman also had a petition out and was trying to get folks to sign it.

At this point in the clip, Pearlman states that he never signs petitions outside of supermarkets. Instead, he snaps photos of them, reads them over, and then decides if he wants to support them.

While the man seemed annoyed by Pearlman’s actions, the TikToker did follow through on his statement. He ended up reading the petition and saw it was sponsored by DraftKings. If you aren’t familiar with the website, it’s one of the most prominent online sports betting applications out there.

Pearlman went on to state that the petition wasn’t to help homeless veterans at all. It was a big subterfuge to try and get folks to support legislation to legalize online gambling in California.

An afterthought

After reading through the agreement, Pearlman stated that “at the bottom” in very small text, there was mention of veterans. Turns out DraftKings, in their boundless generosity, offered a fractional percentage to some “nonsense homeless veteran cause.” Additionally, he speculated that the cause named wasn’t even a cause at all.

“To me that just sums it up. That industry online gambling, sports gambling, is so freaking sinister and so disgusting. It truly, truly reminds me of Big Tobacco.”

The reason why he likens them to cigarette manufacturers is the purported concern for how its product can lead to addiction. Which sounds a bit like Big Tobacco’s overtures to public health.

Do gambling apps ‘prey’ on consumer vulnerabilities?

What makes sports betting websites/applications even more “sinister,” according to Pearlman, are analytics. He says these apps prey on people’s “weaknesses” and learn their betting patterns. “They take all this information and they basically set you up to lose money.”

And online sports betting companies are getting kids started young, Pearlman contests. He says that he’s talked to several of his friends who have kids in high school. He then says that these teens often reference how their classmates are all gambling online. This is yet another instance of Sports Betting Companies lying about their concern for users to not get addicted, he says.

Towards the end of his clip, he highlights how bad it is for online sports betting companies to advertise on popular programs. “I’m not trying to single him out but like Bill Simmons, his podcast is sponsored by I think DraftKings.” Bill Simmons’ podcast is actually sponsored by Draftkings competitor FanDuel. Both companies are working to expand sports betting.

Pearlman thinks that this is a bad faith move from media companies and that they’re basically taking “blood money.”

Sports betting investigations

IFW Global, an international investigation organization published a piece on online sports betting. In this exposé, the firm illustrates one such “scam” that may lure in prospective bettors: The risk free gamble.

The piece states: “Sports betting is a legitimate yet largely unregulated industry—and it is full of fraudsters who target fans eager to earn a winning. Sports bet scams persuade victims to invest in risk-free gambling systems that claim to ensure a profit. Unfortunately, these ‘guarantees’ are too good to be true.”

According to the outlet, betting “syndicates” where folks pool their resources and the rewards are shared, are also bunk. “The catch? To open a sports betting account, you must pay a compulsory sign up charge and, in most cases, monthly membership fees. As well as never seeing a cent in return, you’ll find it impossible to get a refund on your investment.”

Any other wagers that promise “fixed match” outcomes are usually made to lull folks into a false sense of security. In this situation, folks are sold the idea that a game/bout is fixed so their bet is a sure thing. Consequently, they’re often left out in the cold as whoever offered this bet is a doggone liar.

Another type of online betting scam that’s worth looking out for is any mention of “predictive software.” The yarn is a convincing one: Utilizing historical data and now probably AI analysis, this software can narrow down to the nearest percentile who will be the victor. Again: This is all bogus.

TikTokers say sports betting is a ‘problem’

According to one user who responded to Pearlman’s video, online gambling’s a big issue among young men. “As a 21-year-old male, I can confidently say my demographic has a problem that nobody wants to talk about,” he said.

Someone else said that they can’t seem to believe the number of online gambling commercials they come across. “Sports betting could cease to exist and the only reason I’d notice is because it wouldn’t be shoved in my face every 5 seconds while watching American sports,” the user wrote.

Another remarked, “The amount of 18-21 year olds that are sports gambling is insane. I know kids that take every dollar that should be saved for future homes/kids but instead put it on a parlay and always lose.”

Someone else wrote, “Whenever I see a celebrity in a sports gambling commercial I immediately think less of them.”

A business person said they’ve seen first hand the damage sports betting has done to young people. “I ran a motorcycle dealership. Most customers were young men. So many had their credit destroyed due to sports betting. No one wins. Why do we have this?” they wrote.

@jeffpearlmanauthor The online sports gambling scam. It really, really angers me. #draftking #gsmbling #gambling #betting #sports #otb #writethelyrics #writersoftiktok ♬ original sound – Jeff Pearlman

The Daily Dot has reached out to DraftKings and Pearlman via email for further comment.

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