Robin Hanson on Steve Levitt declining to sign the petition:
Steve Levitt is everything but silent on prediction markets.
#1. Google Search counts 16 mentions of “prediction markets” on the Freakonomics site.
#2. Steve Levitt and Tyler Cowen were the only blogging economists to mention the North Korean Misssile scandal.
#3. Steve Levitt hinted in his blog post that he would speak his mind on the legality of prediction markets in America in the New York Times or on his Freakonomics blog, whenever he feels it.
#4. Being free of “group think”, Steve Levitt came out with a clear and logical position: the only regulation that’s worth is the one that permits bookmakers and betting exchanges. That’s what consumers want, and that would boost the development of the prediction market industry in the US.
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I usually like Robin Hanson’s ideas, but on this one, I’m with Steve Levitt.
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