This is the real killer. Gambling in the CS scene is absolutely rampant, you will only find a handful of CS influencers that do no accept gambling sponsors (As they offer much more than other companies).
I was happy when Belgium banned loot boxes, but it was not nearly enough.
What's the deal with trying so hard to defend the advertising of an objectively harmful industry?
I think a good parallel here is Tobacco advertising. Smoking is harmful in every way, therefore I don't see any reason why advertising it to a broad audience (which will inadvertently also include children) is something we should allow.
What's the net benefit of allowing such advertising? I don't see it. Yo could argue something about rights to free speech or some variation, but societies still have a responsibility to look out for the health of their people, no?
So, because another party is disproportionately punished for their crimes, we must punish others disproportionately as well? We should be raising the bar, not giving it a funeral.
I don't think that's a good way of thinking about it. Just because programmers might have better job security doesn't mean other motivators for not wanting to get fired exist.