Author Keith Laumer wrote of a form of this in his early 70's short sci-fi story, Of Death What Dreams. In the story, it was called "Booking the Vistat Run" and it was a gambling option for the ultra wealthy who bet on the lives and deaths of the poor.
Lotsa shit's coming down that was written about decades ago in various sci-fi stories.
FFS, look at the Star Trek communicators from the 60's show... and a flip phone.