Joel Stein: "Now I get it"

[Rudeboyelvis]

This always devolves into the same discussion because, unfortunately, nothing is ever done to address the root causes.

1. The overall public's perception is precisely what Doug just described in the television episode; the game is full of crooks and con artists. Drugs are used to influence the outcomes of races and there are only degenerates that chase what boils down to a simple game of chance, unless you're on the inside. . It wouldn't be comedically translatable if that perception was inaccurate.
Everyone outside of the bubble of the game realizes this and the people inside the bubble refuses to accept it.
Of course we know that none of this could be further from the truth, but also everyone of us knows why that perception exists.

2. The educated gamblers, particularly poker players, that are way more savvy and knowledgeable, understand that the public perception is in no way remotely accurate and close to the general rule. They know that there is no way the sport could survive, thus are not scared off by it's perception.

What sends them running for the hills is the fact that roughly 20-25% of every wager goes to the house.

If your goal is to convince a new generation of intelligent gamblers to adopt this sport as a pastime, takeout has to be addressed, and not by 1-2% - anyone with half a brain will look for better odds elsewhere

The false impressions and perceptions are not really any different than when the game was in it's heyday. Casual gamblers will look for a convenient excuse not to bet, intelligent gamblers will flock to the sport if given a fighting chance.