Robinhood did not actually "admit it's just a gambling app" in any way. Robinhood opened up a betting market and this article is mocking both the idea as well as their specific phrasing of the announcement.<p>The headline is intentionally flip and misleading from an author who just really, really hates prediction markets (and Nate Silver).
I'm pretty cynical about "prediction markets" supplanting polls. There are a lot more meta-games going on, especially if the "prediction" can somehow influence the odds of itself happening.<p>Plus, y'know, the whole gambling aspect, especially when it's a zero-sum game with other gambler and the house/brokerage. The regular stock market has its warts, but it at least involves some amount of externally productive human activities.