Sports Betting Is a Predatory Industry, and Young Men Are Its Prime Target

The Common Good Podcast · Oct 5, 2026 · 9m

Brian From talks with Emily Washburn, issues analyst and writer at Focus on the Family's Daily Citizen, about the rapid growth of sports gambling. Emily explains how the 2018 Supreme Court decision letting states legalize sports betting, followed by online and mobile betting, created an industry that profits when its customers lose. She describes micro-betting, round-the-clock wagering, targeted advertising aimed at problem gamblers, and prediction markets like Kalshi marketed as investing. She also explains why young men, whose impulse control is still developing, are especially vulnerable…