Panel Discussing Gambling Addiction - Book - Losing Big

This panel discussing gambling addiction and consequences is really interesting.

Europeans may not be able to access this video because it is sponsored by American cable companies on CSPAN.

April 10, 2025

Book TV​

Losing Big

In 2023, one out of five Americans spent a total of over $120 billion betting on sports. American Academy of Arts & Sciences' Jonathan Cohen looked at the downside of legalized sports gambling, dominated today by companies like FanDuel and DraftKings. This event was hosted by Columbia Journalism School in New York City.

Hosting Organization​

• Columbia University

People in this video​

- Jonathan Cohen Senior Program Officer American Academy of Arts and Sciences | American Institutions, Society, and the Public Good
- Nicholas Lemann Director Columbia Global Reports
- Will Ma Former Professional Poker Player and Current Associate Professor Columbia University | Business School
- Silvia Martins M.D. Professor Columbia University | Epidemiology

I think gambling is about whether you can control it or not~~ If you control your bankroll well, it's not gambling.

hajaehyun said:

I think gambling is about whether you can control it or not~~ If you control your bankroll well, it's not gambling.

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I think I understand what you mean by this.

And, I agree that bankroll management is very very important.

But the stories in the book and those discussed in the panel are about young men who could not stop gambling and exceeded their bankrolls.

The panel discusses some reasons why that is.

Imagine trying to tell your brain “I’ve got this under control” while DraftKings has an army of PhDs designing dopamine traps. Good luck, champ.

lancelot88 said:

Imagine trying to tell your brain “I’ve got this under control” while DraftKings has an army of PhDs designing dopamine traps. Good luck, champ.

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One of the revelations from Will Ma is that the algorithm will entice you with deposit bonuses a couple of days after they "know" you received your paycheck.

What they describe is a whole different animal than playing online poker.