Of course the entire thing is an insidious cancer, but allowing people to bet on catastrophes they can potentially bring about or intensify themselves is on another level of dangerous.

“There’s also the heightened risk—according to state and local fire officials—that individuals could be tempted to commit arson in order to make sure their bets are successful,” the letter continues. “By offering contracts on fires, prediction market sites run the risk of encouraging people to influence fires that have already started, creating additional concerns around public safety and insider trading.”