{"id":2033130,"date":"2023-09-15T11:17:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T15:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gambling-on-sports-cards-could-lead-to-addiction-expert\/"},"modified":"2023-09-15T11:23:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T15:23:46","slug":"gambling-on-sports-cards-could-lead-to-addiction-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gambling-on-sports-cards-could-lead-to-addiction-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports card gambling may lead to addiction, warns expert."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgambling-on-sports-cards-could-lead-to-addiction-expert%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2033130&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The Evolution of the \u2063Sports Card Industry: \u2064From Childhood Hobby to High-Stakes Gambling<\/h2>\n<p>The sports card industry, \u200donce a beloved pastime for American youth, has undergone a dramatic transformation. What was once a wholesome pursuit of owning\u2064 a piece of\u2064 a favorite player has now become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-cannot-believe-i-gave-two-legs-for-my-tuition-afghan-vet-reacts-to-bidens-student-debt-cancellation-plan\/\" title=\"\u2018I Cannot Believe I Gave Two Legs For My Tuition\u2019: Afghan Vet Reacts To Biden\u2019s Student Debt Cancellation Plan\">multi-billion dollar business<\/a>, raising concerns among former collectors\u200d and addiction\u2064 experts. They argue that it has essentially become a form\u200d of \u200dlegalized gambling.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Gone are the days \u2063when \u2062kids eagerly rushed to their local\u200d store, hoping to uncover\u2062 a cardboard \u2064image\u2064 of their hero from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gambling-on-sports-cards-could-lead-to-addiction-expert\/\" title=\"Sports card gambling may lead to addiction, warns expert.\">fifty-cent \u200bbubble card pack<\/a>. Today, modern collectors are willing to spend thousands of dollars, sometimes even on\u2064 a single pack, \u2064in their relentless pursuit of rare\u200d limited edition cards. These cards\u200c can then be resold on the secondary market\u200d for a\u2062 handsome profit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=497&#038;v=BWcVIsp43Rc&#038;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportscollectorsdaily.com%2F&#038;source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMjg2NjY&#038;feature=emb_logo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video\u200d viewed more than 200,000 times<\/a>, sports card enthusiast George Wiley shared his firsthand \u2064experience \u2062in the industry. He witnessed\u200b the struggle many collectors faced in controlling their impulses.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n              <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/gps-hand-out-over-1-million-antidepressant-prescriptions-to-teens-in-a-year-5490830\">GPs \u2064Hand Out Over 1 \u2063Million Antidepressant Prescriptions to \u200bTeens in a Year<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/13\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n              <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/quiet-michigan-town-divided-over-the-arrival-of-racetrack-betting-5490395\">Quiet Michigan Town Divided Over the Arrival of Racetrack,\u2062 Betting<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/13\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI realized that I\u2064 was contributing to\u200c people who were deeply addicted to the thrill of collecting and the greed associated with finding\u2063 a rare gem.\u2064 It was also \u2064something I struggled with,\u201d said Mr. Wiley, who found himself $20,000 in debt due \u200dto his lack of\u2062 self-control.<\/p>\n<p>He added, \u201cI once had a guy ask me to ship \u200chis \u2063cards to his office because he\u200d didn&#8217;t want his\u200d wife to know he was breaking the\u200d bank.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The video sparked thousands of comments from\u200b fellow collectors. Many\u2063 shared their own experiences, with one individual \u200cconfessing, \u201cI&#8217;m\u2062 a recovering drug addict, but about 2 years ago I found a new \u2018drug\u2019 in the form \u200bof ripping\u200d wax. The hardest part is how easily accessible this \u2018drug\u2019 is. \u200dI haven&#8217;t even dared to calculate how much I&#8217;ve spent in the last couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>&#8216;Sports Card \u2062Addiction&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p>In January, a federal agent\u2062 sacrificed his\u200c career to support \u2063what his family called \u200dhis \u201csports card addiction.\u201d Homeland Security special \u2063agent Sean M. Nelson, 44, \u2062of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty\u2064 to using his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-voters-in-chile-reject-attempt-to-adopt-new-far-left-constitution\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Voters In Chile Reject Attempt To Adopt New Far-Left Constitution\">government-provided car<\/a> to earn money \u200bfor\u2062 his\u200d sports card\u200c purchases, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-az\/pr\/former-homeland-security-investigations-agent-sentenced-theft-agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Attorney\u2019s \u2063Office in the District of \u200dArizona.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>During the sentencing, Mr. Nelson&#8217;s mother submitted a letter pleading for probation for \u2064her\u2064 son, recalling his childhood fascination with cards that eventually spiraled\u200b into an\u200d addiction. \u201cNo one could have predicted that collecting would turn into such\u2063 a destructive force,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The judge sentenced Mr. Nelson to two years of federal probation and ordered\u2063 him to\u2062 pay $133,999 in restitution.<\/p>\n<p>While there is limited research on sports card addiction, Brook McKenzie, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/audit-michigan-may-have-paid-billions-in-fraudulent-jobless-claims-gretchen-whitmer-administration-hit-with-kickback-allegations\/\" title=\"Audit: Michigan May Have Paid Billions in 'Fraudulent' Jobless Claims; Gretchen Whitmer Administration Hit with 'Kickback' Allegations\">chief operating officer<\/a>\u200c at Burning Tree Programs, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/do-not-try-this-depression-treatment-at-home\/\" title=\"Do Not Try This Depression Treatment at Home\">addiction treatment center<\/a>, explained that the severity of the problem can \u200boften be measured by the obstacles \u200bit creates in a person&#8217;s life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe distinction between a hobby and an addiction often lies in the impact it has on an individual&#8217;s life,\u201d said Mr. McKenzie.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCollecting can become problematic for some individuals. If someone&#8217;s collecting habits\u200c lead to\u200c negative \u2063consequences\u2062 such as financial \u2064strain, neglect of responsibilities,\u200c or conflicts in relationships, and they\u2062 continue collecting despite these consequences,\u2063 then it might \u2063be \u200dcharacterized as compulsive or addictive \u2063behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, the sports card industry has experienced a\u200b remarkable resurgence in \u200dpopularity. One key factor has been the introduction \u200dof scarcity, with manufacturers\u200b deliberately limiting the \u2063production of certain cards. In the \u200d1990s, card\u2062 companies began numbering \u200ccards and indicating odds\u2064 on packs, fueling\u200d collectors&#8217; desire to find rare gems that could be resold on the secondary market \u2063for substantial profits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In April \u200d2021, a 2003\u201304 Upper Deck Exquisite\u200c Collection RPA LeBron James card, numbered out of 23, was \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/31342749\/lebron-james-rookie-card-sells-record-52-million\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sold for a\u200b staggering $5.2 million.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Don Drooker, a consultant at AZ\u200d Sports Cards in\u200d Phoenix, Arizona, \u200bshared his perspective \u200don \u2062the debate surrounding whether the sports\u2063 card business has crossed the line into gambling. He believes it depends on the \u200cbuyer&#8217;s intent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf\u2062 you want\u2062 to consider\u2063 it gambling, \u2063that is a matter\u200d of opinion,\u201d said Mr. Drooker. \u201cThere \u2064are still collectors \u200bout\u2062 there, like \u2064myself, who enjoy collecting the cards\u200d or are trying to complete a\u200d set.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor those chasing the elusive &#8216;hit&#8217; cards, it&#8217;s worse than gambling. It&#8217;s more like \u200bplaying the lottery, with the odds heavily stacked \u200bagainst you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> In what ways \u2063does \u2063the social aspect of sports card collecting intensify the desire to collect more cards and compete for the\u2064 most valuable ones?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  T the addictive nature of sports card collecting can be attributed to several\u200d factors. First, the thrill of the chase and the desire to acquire rare and valuable cards can lead to\u2063 a dopamine rush, similar\u200b to the\u2064 high experienced by gamblers. This can\u200b create a cycle of seeking out that same excitement over and \u200cover \u2063again, leading to impulsive and excessive spending.<\/p>\n<p>Second, the social aspect of sports card collecting can also contribute \u200dto addiction.\u2063 Many collectors engage in online forums, trading cards, and participating in auctions. This sense of community and the constant interaction with other collectors can intensify \u2063the desire to collect more cards and compete for the most valuable ones.<\/p>\n<p>Third, the fluctuating market value of sports cards adds\u200d another layer of complexity\u200b to the addiction. Collectors \u200cmay become obsessed\u200b with monitoring the market, buying and selling\u200c cards in an attempt \u200bto make \u2064a profit. This\u200b can \u2062lead to\u200d reckless \u2063spending and financial instability.<\/p>\n<p>The transformation of the sports card industry into a high-stakes gambling arena has raised concerns among former collectors and \u200caddiction experts. The ease of access to purchasing packs of cards, the allure of rare and limited-edition cards, and the potential for financial gain have turned what was once a childhood hobby into a risky and addictive behavior.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of regulation in the industry has \u200conly exacerbated the problem. Unlike traditional\u200b forms of\u200b gambling, the sports card market operates without strict oversight or age restrictions. This makes it particularly appealing to young people who may be<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sports card industry, once a wholesome pursuit for American youth to collect their favorite player&#8217;s cards, has transformed into a high-stakes, multi-billion dollar business. Former collectors and addiction experts worry it now resembles legalized gambling. The days of kids rushing to local stores for cards are long gone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2342,"featured_media":2033131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2033130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2033130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2342"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2033130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2033130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2033131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2033130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2033130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2033130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}