This text is talking about placing some sort of obstacle in front of someone who will not know it is there for one reason or another. Basically just taking advantage of someone. Connecting this to my topic, the NBA and sportsbooks take advantage of their customers by promotion "risk-free" promotions which in reality are not risk free. These leagues are using their platform to take advantage of those degenerate gamblers or people who don't understand why it isn't really risk free
This text talks about how gambling is a form of thievery because the bettor might be under the impression that they are guaranteed to win their bet. Similar to how sports books market a limited time promotion as risk free even though in reality if you lose the bet you get the amount you bet back but in a "bonus fund" form instead of actual withdrawable cash
Here too, there is the assumption that players only give up their money because they assume they can't lose. With risk free promotions like these, with the words "risk free" betters assume there is no risk but if they read the fine print then they understand that there is some degree of risk because if there wasn't then casinos and sportsbooks would go out of business. In addition during these huge games on TV the sportsbooks make sure to get ads at the perfect times in order to market themselves better. The NBA specifically are using their platform to "deceive" the consumer
(ו) אסור לרמות בני אדם במקח וממכר או לגנוב דעתם כגון אם יש מום במקחו צריך להודיעו ללוקח אף אם הוא עכו"ם לא ימכור לו בשר נבילה בחזקת שחוטה ואין לגנוב דעת הבריות בדברים שמרא' שעושה בשבילו ואינו עוש' אסור כיצד לא יסרהב (בחבירו) שיסעוד עמו והוא יודע שאינו סועד ולא ירבה לו בתקרובת והוא יודע שאינו מקבל ולא יפתח חביות הפתוחות לחנוני וזה סובר שפתחם בשבילו אלא צריך להודיעו שלא פתחם בשבילו ואם הוא דבר דאיבעי ליה לאסוקי אדעתיה שאינו עושה בשבילו ומטעה עצמו שסובר שעושה בשבילו לכבודו כגון שפגע בחבירו בדרך וסבור זה שיצא לקראתו לכבדו אין צריך להודיעו:
It is forbidden to deceive people in business. Or, to "steal their minds" - that is - If there is a blemish in what they are selling, they must inform the buyer. Even if he is an idol worshipper, you cannot sell him unkosher meat as if it were kosher. And you can not "steal the minds" of people by saying you will do things and then you don't do them. What is this? - One can not promise to eat with someone if he knows he will not be eating with him. He should also not overload his fellow with offers that he knows his friend will not accept. A storekeeper should not open already open barrels for someone and claim he opened them for him, specifically. And if a person thinks someone did do something for him (like he bumped into him on the street, and he thinks his friend came out specifically to see him), he does not need to inform him.
Here, the text is talking about the deception of one's mind. Connecting that to my topic, these gambling promotions, it is advertising the promotion as completely risk-free when in fact that is not the case. You are not allowed to "say things then not do them". With these promotions, the only way to fully find out what you are getting into is by reading the fine print instead of only the falsely advertised promotion title.
(ו) אָסוּר לָאָדָם לְהַנְהִיג עַצְמוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי חֲלָקוֹת וּפִתּוּי. וְלֹא יִהְיֶה אֶחָד בַּפֶּה וְאֶחָד בַּלֵּב אֶלָּא תּוֹכוֹ כְּבָרוֹ וְהָעִנְיָן שֶׁבַּלֵּב הוּא הַדָּבָר שֶׁבַּפֶּה. וְאָסוּר לִגְנֹב דַּעַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וַאֲפִלּוּ דַּעַת הַנָּכְרִי. כֵּיצַד. לֹא יִמְכֹּר לְנָכְרִי בְּשַׂר נְבֵלָה בִּמְקוֹם בְּשַׂר שְׁחוּטָה. וְלֹא מִנְעָל שֶׁל מֵתָה בִּמְקוֹם מִנְעָל שֶׁל שְׁחוּטָה. וְלֹא יְסַרְהֵב בַּחֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁיֹּאכַל אֶצְלוֹ וְהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל. וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ בְּתִקְרֹבֶת וְהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל. וְלֹא יִפְתַּח לוֹ חֲבִיּוֹת שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְפָתְחָן לְמָכְרָן כְּדֵי לְפַתּוֹתוֹ שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹדוֹ פָּתַח וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ מִלָּה אַחַת שֶׁל פִּתּוּי וְשֶׁל גְּנֵבַת דַּעַת אָסוּר, אֶלָּא שְׂפַת אֱמֶת וְרוּחַ נָכוֹן וְלֵב טָהוֹר מִכָּל עָמָל וְהַוּוֹת:
(6) It is forbidden for man to demean himself by the use of the language of flattery and allurement; and he shall not be one thing with his mouth and another with his heart; but his inner and outer being must be the same, for the subject of the heart is the matter of the mouth. And, it is forbidden to steal the mind of people, even the mind of the alien. For example? One shall not sell to an alien meat of a beast that died of itself or that was improperly slaughtered (Nebelah) and represent that it was meat of an animal that was slaughtered properly; or shoes of the hide of a beast that died of itself and represent that it was of a slaughtered beast; one shall not urge his friend to dine with him, when he knows that he would not eat; nor over-burden him with offerings when he knows that he would not accept; nor open a barrel, which he must open for his trade, to talk in his friend that he opened it in his honor, and so other like deceptions. Even one word of allurement and stealing of mind is forbidden. But man must be of true lip, steadfast spirit, and pure heart, free from all travail and clamor.
This text also talks about deception but more focuses on the wording to deceive the customer. By using the term "risk-free parlay" the consumer is under the assumption that it really is risk-free, even though there is minimal risk, there is still a level of risk. It also uses words like fun and entertaining to advertise these promotions which can deceive people into thinking that gambling can be harmless and as a result taking advantage of people who are uninformed or degenerate gamblers already