Yes. I am cynical on this topic. I’m not ‘against’ gambling on moral or religious grounds. I’ll dabble rarely. But, IMO, it’s insidious, and more dangerous than our current culture acknowledges…and not just for sports, but in general.
The way the professional leagues have fully embraced gambling is, in itself, cynical. Yes, simple greed is in play. But, IMO, it also says, we’re not sure our product is great, and can’t figure out how to make it as great as it could be…but we’re happy to mitigate that via your gambling compulsion.