My NY Times Essay: What Sports Betting Reveals About Addiction

What’s different now isn’t the underlying susceptibility, it’s that technology and concentrated commercial power have made these vulnerabilities impossible to ignore.

I have a new essay out in The New York Times today, in which I challenge some assumptions about addiction through the lens of America’s sports betting explosion, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. I describe how gambling’s harms extend far beyond what we commonly understand, and how the gambling boom (a $150 billion industry!) reveals truths about the addiction in all of us. In particular, modern tech has transformed a simple wager into a highly targeted, always-on stream of micro-bets, making it harder for everyone to maintain healthy boundaries. There are lessons here for how to protect ourselves as individuals, guide our children through a world increasingly littered with gambling dynamics, and build commonsense regulations that acknowledge gambling as a public health issue.

While the published essay had to be concise, I wanted to give some background, highlight some additional stats that didn’t make it into the piece, and provide leads for further learning and help.

People in the U.S. are projected to wager a record $1.39 billion legally on tomorrow’s Super Bowl alone. This unprecedented surge in betting highlights why we need to understand gambling's impact across the full spectrum of harm.

One thing I try to convey in essays like this is, for lack of a better term, psychoeducation. Gambling addiction is devastating and deserves help. It breeds intense isolation due to shame, and the consequences are severe. Gambling is among the most fatal of all addictions; in studies of people seeking treatment, up to 30% have attempted suicide. Every year, 2.5 million American adults suffer from severe gambling problems, a condition officially recognized as gambling disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, characterized by continuing to bet despite serious problems in multiple areas of life.

While severe gambling addiction devastates lives, I argue that we need to look beyond just the extreme cases to understand how millions more struggle with other forms of problematic gambling. This wider lens reveals important insights into human vulnerability and self-control in our increasingly tech-saturated and deregulated world.

I also discuss how children increasingly encounter gambling-like dynamics through technology, especially video games. One detail that didn’t make it into the piece was “loot boxes,” which let players spend real money on digital "containers" of in-game items. There are worrisome indications that youth who engage with gambling mechanics are more likely to participate in real gambling later.

I highlight some of the most high-impact and practical steps we can take as individuals and as a society, but of course there’s much more to explore. In particular, I couldn’t go deeply into the complex policy landscape, but the recent Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling (November 2024) provides a great starting point to better understand gambling as a public health issue.

If you are struggling with gambling or know someone who is, there are many ways to get help. One excellent starting point is the National Council on Problem Gambling’s support page, where you can call, text, chat, or review resources by state. Gambler’s Anonymous is also a great resource, whether you're sure you need help or just wondering if you might.

We're at a crucial moment where decisive action can make a real difference. I hope this essay helps. Read it here.

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