I remember my buddies from the OEX pit telling me about the buying and selling of NCAA hoop teams during March Madness. CRAZY amounts of money won and lost. Whenever there was a low seed that made it near the end guys would get obliterated being short them.
Yep, traders have a predisposition to gamble on everything under the sun...but in moderation(frequency not dollar amount). I actually wrote a recommendation to Baron, baring any thought of logistical and regulatory hurdles, that we can have a forum "side bets" section. Next time another trader talks smack about another's opinion, they can take it to the side bet forum and put money on it. It can be tacky in most social circles. But to traders, it is a formalism to resolve incongruent views. Besides, nothing shuts a loose mouth than loosing an argument along with money. It can only lead to to more calculated (and more disciplined) future dialog. For the technical/computer arguments, there's no hope. Animosities are quite permanent. Geek rage.