Articles and Videos – Page 4

Arkansans On Track to Wager Almost $1 Billion on Sports This Year

Sep 7, 2026Jerry CoxGamblingGambling, Prediction Markets, Sports Betting

An analysis from Family Council shows Arkansans could wager almost a billion dollars on sports betting this year.

The figure does not take into account “prediction market” wagers on sports or illegal sports betting.

Nationwide, sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas — but a growing body of evidence shows this type of gambling is causing serious financial harm.

Last week, Family Council reported that data from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration shows that from January 1 through July 31, sports bets totaled more than $529 million — an average of roughly $2.5 million per day.

At that rate, Arkansas is on track to wager as much as $912.5 million on sports by the end of December. Even if that daily average were cut in half this fall, Arkansas’ sports betting for the year would still top $700 million.

That estimate does not include “prediction markets” that exploit loopholes in federal law to bring casino-style gambling to anyone with a smartphone. We have written before about how the companies running “prediction markets” claim they just let people “invest” in the future outcome of a ballgame. But calling it an “investment” does not change what it is: It’s gambling.

Studies show people who gamble on sports may be twice as likely to suffer from gambling problems. When sports gambling happens online, the rate is even higher.

More than half of men ages 18-49 now have an active sportsbook account online, and the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) reports almost one in four young men say they gamble daily.

A study by Northwestern University found that for every dollar spent on sports betting, household investment falls by an average of $2.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Ethics and Public Policy Center, researchers at UCLA, and bankruptcy attorneys across the country all say sports betting is driving a wave of financial problems like credit card delinquencies and bankruptcies.

Sports betting is out of control. It’s corrupting sports, and it’s ruining lives.

Can Arkansas really afford to wager a billion dollars on sports every year?

As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect its citizens and families from predatory gambling. Otherwise, gambling addiction will simply continue wrecking lives and hurting families in our state.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Temu Denies Allegations That It Engaged in Deceptive Trade

Sep 7, 2026Jerry CoxTechnologyBig Tech, Social Media

Owners of the online retailer Temu recently denied allegations that the company violated Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Temu is an online shopping platform similar to Amazon or Walmart.com. In 2023, Temu was reported to be the most widely downloaded app in the U.S., and its multibillion-dollar marketing campaign — which included a Super Bowl ad in 2024 — contributed to its success.

But Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued Temu in 2024, alleging Temu uses bargain pricing as a lure so the company can secretly harvest users’ private information.

The lawsuit alleges Temu’s phone app is able to access users’ precise locations as well as other installed apps, online accounts, microphones, and cameras. The platform can then funnel that sensitive information to computer servers that are subject to Chinese laws.

The A.G.’s lawsuit also alleges that the Temu app is able to bypass phone security systems, potentially granting Temu access to a user’s private messages.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office says all of this is unconscionable under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which carries a penalty of $10,000 per violation.

Temu’s attorneys previously asked the judge presiding over the case to dismiss the lawsuit, but the judge denied that request.

On August 28, Temu’s backers, Whaleco Inc. and PDD Holdings, filed responses in court denying Attorney General Griffin’s accusations.

Whaleco operates Temu and is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of PDD Holdings.

The responses say that PDD Holdings is incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Its principal executive offices were previously located in Shanghai, China, but have been moved to Dublin, Ireland.

Whaleco says, “Temu has never shared any user data with the Chinese government,” and calls Arkansas’ lawsuit “baseless” and “unwarranted.”

Arkansas’ lawsuit against Temu is important because the arguments in the case are very similar to arguments in two separate lawsuits against TikTok — another popular internet platform owned by a Chinese company.

As we always say, tech companies are more than just phone apps and websites. These are multibillion-dollar businesses, and the people who operate them have a responsibility to protect the people who use their platforms.

We appreciate Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office for continuing to pursue these court cases.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Arkansas to Get Millions from Meta — Plus Aggressive Ads Fuel “Addiction Economy” and More

Sep 4, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsUpdate, Weekly Rewind

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Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

What Will Arkansas Get from the Settlement with Meta? Last week, social media giant Meta agreed to a $17.1 billion settlement with dozens of state attorneys general over a slate of consumer protection lawsuits. How much of that money will go to Arkansas? Keep Reading.

Arkansans Wager $2.5M Every Day on Sports Betting. Data from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration shows that from January 1 through July 31, sports bets totaled $529,050,612.76. Nearly all of those bets were placed online. All told, Arkansans have wagered an average of more than $75.5 million every month, or roughly $2.5 million per day. That figure is likely to increase once football season gets underway. Keep Reading.

Study Shows Staggering Number of Young Men Trapped in “Addiction Economy” of Gambling, Pornography. Approximately one in eight men ages 18 to 29 use pornography, gamble, and play video games — all three — every single day, according to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS). Keep Reading.

Sportsbooks Still Use Aggressive Advertising. Gambling has exploded in recent years, and studies show large segments of the population now have an active sportsbook account online. But some are concerned that online gambling and sports betting may fuel gambling problems. Keep Reading.

Unpacking Attorney General Griffin’s Lawsuit Against Snapchat. Earlier this summer, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Snap — owner of the popular social media platform Snapchat — alleging the company deliberately designed its app to attract and addict teenagers, while publicly claiming the platform was safe for young users. Keep Reading.

Nearly 200 People in New Mexico Received Lethal Prescriptions for Assisted Suicide Last Year. Government data shows healthcare providers in New Mexico prescribed lethal drugs to 170 people last year under the state’s End-of-Life Options Act. Keep Reading.

Inoculating Your Children from Socialism: Guest Column. According to a 2025 survey, 62% of Americans under 40 have a positive view of socialism or communism. Where did this come from, and what should be done? That’s the question we asked Eric Patterson, president of the Victims of Communism Museum and Memorial Foundation: Keep Reading.

Socialism: Same Old Pitch, New Packaging. Rasmussen reports that support for capitalism has declined since 2023, and a growing share of likely voters now say socialism is better. Last November, Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral election. Mamdani, 34, belongs to the socialist Working Families Party. In his victory speech, Mamdani promised New Yorkers a “new age,” saying, “We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about.” But this modern socialism is really just a repackaging of the same arguments and soundbites that communism used in the last century. Keep Reading.