Panic World We are living in a casino
32 snips
Jun 25, 2025 
Edward Ongweso, Jr., a writer for the Tech Bubble newsletter and co-host of This Machine Kills, dives deep into the unsettling merging of gambling and technology. He discusses how our lives are increasingly gamified, critiquing the profit-driven motivations behind tech and social media. Ongweso sheds light on the risks of frictionless payment systems that echo gambling accessibility. He also examines the implications of online gambling marketing targeting younger audiences, and how these trends reflect broader societal issues, potentially reshaping identities and politics.
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The "Stillborn God" Metaphor
- Technology promises breakthroughs but often delivers toxic, unfulfilled systems.
- These systems drain society by being "stillborn gods" that consume without creating renewal.
Mobile Betting's Dark Impact
- Mobile sports betting skyrocketed post-legalization with devastating social costs.
- It has increased bankruptcies, intimate partner violence, and ruined millions of lives annually.
Gambling's Flow State Design
- Gambling is designed to induce a continuous "flow state" where playing matters more than winning.
- Winning interrupts this state, reducing the urge to continue gambling and to attract others.