In my last two blogs, I discussed the existential problem facing the gaming industry: All forms of legal gambling were invented in the 1800s or much earlier, and Millennials and their younger siblings hate them.

Of course there have been technological developments.  But these have been evolutionary, not revolutionary.

Changes in technology in one part of society lead to unexpected changes in other parts.  Did anyone think that the invention of the cell phone and Internet would lead to the demise of much of the photography industry?  Commercial photographers used to get commissions from magazines.  Now the mags, if they even still exist, search the web and buy from brokers selling great shots from amateurs.  The small camera stores near tourist sites have almost all disappeared.

The law of unintended consequences kicks in whenever there are major technological developments.  Newspapers are being killed by the Internet, but not because people can now get their news instantly online.  Someone still has to write that content.  And reporters and editors have been trained and have the resources.  The Internet has no editor, which means that straight fiction is often reported as fact.  But newspapers need advertising to survive.  Most of them depended upon classified ads for their revenue.  The birth of online rating services and eBay meant the death of daily papers.

Legal gaming has a special problem.  As the most heavily regulated consumer industry, it is one of the slowest to change.  Technology is playing havoc with the law of gambling.  It is not even clear who should do the regulating.