Apologies for the ‘it was better in the past’ story but.. From the 1880s through the 1910s, some packs of cigarettes included a baseball card as an add-on. In 1933, Goudey recognized the appeal of baseball cards to kids and began selling packs containing one piece of gum and one card. Gradually, cards became the focus and the gum became secondary. Given the appeal to kids and that it did have a stick of gum, general retailers sold baseball cards in the candy aisle. By the late 1940s, manufacturers were selling packs containing multiple cards but still just one piece of gum. Topps eventually established a virtual monopoly on baseball cards sold alone or with gum, which lasted until 1981. After a long antitrust battle, two competitors found a way around Topps' exclusive contracts by including a sticker or puzzle piece rather than gum. By 1992, MLB decided that no insert was necessary. The stickers and puzzles were superfluous, while the gum could actually damage the cards. Manufacturers abandoned these extras. Still, sports cards continued to be sold in candy aisles until roughly the turn of the century when stores increasingly gave them their own section. The first box of baseball cards I bought, at age 13, was 1987 Topps for $12. Last week, for old times sake, I bought a vintage box of the same on eBay for $70. The box was delivered while I was out of town but I couldn’t find it when I got home. Last night, when I went to get a piece of chocolate, I discovered the box in the candy drawer. I was confused. Turns out my housekeeper had unpacked it but didn't know what the box was, at least until she noticed the words “bubble gum cards” prominently displayed on the box. Without realizing it, she'd put the box exactly where it would have belonged a generation ago: with the candy. It reminded me of a simpler time when kids opened packs to complete a set rather than chase autographs and pieces of game-worn jerseys. When $12 bought 36 packs instead of one. When the thrill was finding your favorite player or the star rookie, not calculating what a card might be worth. When there weren’t professional grading services. And when a stick of gum was still part of the experience.

DraftKings CEO: We’re Already ‘Clear No. 3’ in Prediction Markets covers.com/industry/draftkin… @Covers

Robins on Florida & @HardRockBet Lawsuit Why $DKNG the target? "For whatever reason they decided to make us the target. It is very interesting that there's a number of prediction operators in the state we're the ones we got singularly got sued."

I’m all for polls and statistics, but this one is super misleading. IMO this is a poorly designed poll that mostly captures framing effects and ignorance. The question explicitly frames prediction markets as “wager[ing] money” and asks if that is “a form of gambling.” That wording almost guarantees a high “yes” number. Meanwhile, ~90% of respondents have never used one, so most answers reflect media coverage rather than informed judgment.

Breaking news from @jstein_sun at the Washington Sun this morning: the FTC is starting to look into the online sports betting industry. washingtonsun.com/administra…

I feel like I am going to have to continue to tweet this, but prediction markets are not gambling. There is no house, you aren't playing against the operator, these platforms have no vested interest in the outcome, and prediction markets don't limit/ban users for "winning too much"

DraftKings and its CEO Jason Robins have been sued by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which holds exclusive rights to operate online and mobile sports betting in the state. The idea is that $DKNG is illegally offering sports betting in Florida via its prediction-market product.

This is remarkable. Kalshi & Polymarket have 52% of the downloads of the Top 10. I think what a lot of people are missing is that these apps are less intimidating to general bettor and the overall interface is more graphically entertaining. (Data per @sam_mcquill)

I find it baffling that it is considered backroom and shady to pay taxes to a state. Isn’t it the opposite? Was it also backroom and shady when Illinois jammed prediction market tax language into their budget with less than 30 minutes to review? Where is the commentary on that. Legislators are the ones who decide where tax revenue is allocated, not companies! Perhaps next time a story like this is written, they learn the legislative process instead of creating false narratives about how it works. If state legislators want to dedicate PM tax revenue to specific services, go for it! And why is the casino industry opposed to prediction markets paying taxes and states collecting revenue? Let’s be honest about what’s really at stake - this isn’t about protecting consumers. It’s about protecting their monopolies.

Exclusive: MGM Resorts is discussing making a bid to purchase Barry Diller’s People Incorporated, which owns a roughly 27% stake in MGM. on.wsj.com/4jnmZ7q

Starting Jiu-Jitsu young has a huge advantage… but I believe there can also be a downside. I started Jiu-Jitsu when I was 14 years old. When I was 15, I was a yellow belt competing against kids who had been training since they were 4 years old. Some of these kids were already multiple-time Brazilian National Champions. Some became Juvenile World Champions at blue belt at 15, 16, or 17 years old. But here’s the interesting part… Many of those kids eventually quit Jiu-Jitsu. I can think of so many incredibly talented young athletes who were way ahead of me when we were teenagers, but eventually stopped training. That’s why I believe there is no “perfect age” to start Jiu-Jitsu. If you were lucky enough to basically be born on the mats because your parents put you in Jiu-Jitsu very young, take advantage of that head start. But if you started later, I believe there can be advantages to that too. You may have less mileage on your body, and your motivation might be much higher. Someone who starts at 40 or 50 might have a fresh body and the excitement of a beginner. Meanwhile, someone who started at 15 may reach 45 with 30 years of mileage on their body and possibly less motivation. Every age has advantages and disadvantages. Our job is to focus on the advantages we have and manage the disadvantages as well as we can. So if you think you started Jiu-Jitsu “too late,” don’t worry about it. There is no perfect age to start. What matters is that you started. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

I used to consider Chris a serious person before this thread, but apparently I can't now: 1. It literally says $20,125,904 VOL 2. Kalshi/the industry has jammed down our throats that every person on the exchange is equal/a peer. Is taker volume less? Sure. But trying to semantics me to death is obnoxious as shit.

Full story on Kevin Costner's upcoming Dunbar Ranch gaming industry retreat, by Jill R. Dorson: ingame.com/costner-predictio…

Sports betting gets plenty of criticism. I’m not here to argue against it. However, there is another side to it. I never imagined I’d be trading options on my own. Yet after years of poker and betting, I learned it's the same language. You’re either backing a favorite at a good number or betting an underdog the market has mispriced. I’ve spent the last year applying those same principles with confidence. Used recklessly, betting can be destructive. Used responsibly, it can teach probability, price, risk management and how to make decisions under uncertainty. All of those lessons travel.

Tee box occupied

this feels like it should be bigger news than what is being presented ‼️ Kalshi partnering with tribal gaming feels big, and is a step forward for tribal gaming to get a slice of the pie, rather than tribes attempting to litigate and put PMs out of business... very interesting news.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is getting into prediction markets via a partnership with Kalshi: "By entering this market as an owner of a prediction markets app, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe is exercising its sovereignty..."