Video Summary

Next Sunday, the Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas, a fitting venue given the prominent role gambling plays in sports today. In recent years, the United States has brought its age-old love of sports betting out of the shadows and onto our phones. This has created an all-time mismatch pitting man against machine, with gamblers overwhelmingly young men versus gambling companies armed with sophisticated AI data and engineering.

Fans are now enticed to make snap bets not just on games, but on every play within games. The early results are billions for gambling companies, leagues, and state governments, and a growing population of sports betters struggling to defend against the rush.

Casual social betters, like Billy Andrew and John, revel in their wins, but a new demographic has emerged: young gambling addicts. According to a Cenna College poll, nearly half of young men wagering online feel they're betting more than they should. The largest caller demographic to the state's problem gambling helpline is 25-34-year-olds.

Gambling addiction therapist Harry Levant notes that today's desperate gamblers look and act a lot different. Patients are now betting in the shower, before getting out of bed, and while driving. There are no guardrails, and the human brain's risk-reward system isn't fully formulated until age 25.

The opportunities for action are limitless, with live in-game micro-betting allowing users to wager on every pitch, serve, and snap. Algorithms powered by AI refresh the odds constantly, making it difficult for the common fan to calculate whether a bet is good or bad.

Gambling reformer Matt Zarb Cousin, a recovering addict, warns that the UK's experience with legal gambling offers a sobering glimpse into what's headed straight for the US. He notes that the UK's public information laws allow him to access data on how betting companies use personal information to tailor offers and push notifications to keep gamblers in action.

The gambling industry's lack of transparency and accountability has raised concerns about the addictive nature of sports betting. While the industry claims that adding a layer of betting doesn't make the phone more addictive, clinicians disagree, noting a rise in problem gambling. The question remains: what measures will be taken to protect vulnerable customers and prevent addiction?