> How is that gambling?

I think gambling is defined by the players' behaviour more than the game's structure. There are professional poker players who I would argue do not gamble. They're playing risks as much as an insurance adjuster.

On the other hand, someone investing their life savings into McDonald's meals in an attempt to win a sweepstakes isn't buying burgers.

So the question really is, how many Kalshi and Polymarket users display signs of problem gambling? From what I'm seeing, it isn't negligible [1].

[1] https://newsroom.ucla.edu/in-the-news/la-therapists-are-seei...

"novelty betting" has been around for a very long time.

Gambling has to do with putting money in a proposition, not with sports. "I bet you I can drink two points before you" is not a financial statement.

Gambling, at least in casinos, means betting on very random and unpredictable things like the roll of a die. That's the distinction between games of chance and games of skill.

In reality, every thing we do in life is a gamble. Even investing in US Treasury Bonds. (And if you don't think so, look at the national debt again.)

Is sports betting gambling to you?

What is gambling?