The Casino-ification of America
In 2017, Americans legally bet about $5 billion on sports. Last year, that number rose to $160 billion. Gambling hasn’t just taken over sports. It’s invaded culture, politics, and even international warfare. Bettors have already made millions of dollars wagering on the precise dates and locations of bombing campaigns in Iran, and journalists have been hounded for reporting on events that can lose bettors money.
It’s one thing to believe, as I do, that it would be foolish to entirely ban sports gambling in the U.S. It’s another to watch the warp-speed casino-ification of American life and not think, “Something has gone badly wrong here!” McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss his new cover story on how gambling conquered sports … and everything else.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: McKay Coppins
Producer: Devon Baroldi
Links: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/04/online-sports-betting-app-addiction/686061/
Source for all photos: Getty Images
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In 2017, Americans legally bet about $5 billion on sports. Last year, that number rose to $160 billion. Gambling hasn’t just taken over sports. It’s invaded culture, politics, and even international warfare. Bettors have already made millions of dollars wagering on the precise dates and locations of bombing campaigns in Iran, and journalists have been hounded for reporting on events that can lose bettors money.
It’s one thing to believe, as I do, that it would be foolish to entirely ban sports gambling in the U.S. It’s another to watch the warp-speed casino-ification of American life and not think, “Something has gone badly wrong here!” McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss his new cover story on how gambling conquered sports … and everything else.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Host: Derek Thompson
Guest: McKay Coppins
Producer: Devon Baroldi
Links: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/04/online-sports-betting-app-addiction/686061/
Source for all photos: Getty Images
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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