Well, I'm not sure if the author is saying that the access period is a bad idea, or that availing oneself of it is a bad idea.

I would certainly agree with the latter. As for the former, we already have a lot of ways for people to throw their money away, so why not one more. Literal actual gambling is legal in many places, perhaps even most, so I don't think I could argue against this form of gambling being available too.