The actor’s latest promotion has stirred outrage but will no doubt be good for the prediction markets hoping to lure in young men

Prediction markets are a cynical business.

Many customers will lose money, and the real product may just be the delightful dopamine hit that comes in that brief window between placing a bet and its outcome – which is statistically more likely to be a disappointment than a victory. So the bettor has to think they are buying more than their own fleecing.

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© Photograph: Novig

© Photograph: Novig

© Photograph: Novig

Prediction markets have taken off in popularity, drawing billions of dollars in trades. Some states have tried to ban them.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times