Gambling enters the family zone
It’s hard to watch anything these days without seeing DraftKings or BetMGM ads. They flash grandiose promises about the potential to win, often featuring a grinning celebrity mouthpiece. Gambling has only become more present in Americans’ lives over the past decade—in large part thanks to a Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for more online sports betting in 2018. But the nationwide pro-gambling shift isn’t confined to just one industry. Dave & Buster’s recently introduced a way to place wagers on their arcade games. “Commercialized gambling makes most of its profit from people who are heavy users, not casual ones,” Christine Emba writes. “And the industry wants to draw them in earlier and earlier.”
Today’s newsletter brings you stories about America’s gambling industry:
“Gambling Enters the Family Zone,” by Christine Emba. Habits once labeled vices are creeping into all areas of life—thanks to our phones.
“America’s Gambling Addiction Is Metastasizing,” by Stephen Marche. When life feels this precarious, it’s only natural to roll the dice on just about everything. (From 2021)
“Online Betting Has Gone Off the Deep End,” by Jacob Stern. What are the odds this story wins a Pulitzer?
“The Shohei Ohtani Betting Scandal Won’t Be the Last,” by Keith O’Brien. If the world’s most famous baseball player can be implicated in allegations of illegal gambling, what else is happening in the shadows?
“The Sports-Betting Boom Is a Moral Disaster,” by Matthew Walther. Who really benefits from the legalization of online gambling? (From 2022)