Marketplace Tech How teenagers can get hooked on sports betting (rerun)
Dec 25, 2024
Yanely Espinal, host of Marketplace’s Financially Inclined podcast and expert on personal finance and gambling, dives into the troubling rise of sports betting among teenagers. She discusses how online gambling has surged since a 2018 Supreme Court decision, with aggressive advertising targeting young users. Espinal highlights manipulative tactics used by gambling apps, the psychological dangers of gamification, and personal stories of addiction. She advocates for mental health approaches and effective resources to tackle the issue, emphasizing open communication.
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Targeting Youth
- Online betting sites increasingly target young people.
- Their brains are more easily manipulated by dark patterns.
Free Bet Trap
- Yanely Espinal's brother gets enticed by "free bet" promotions.
- These act as bait to lure gamblers, especially young people.
Gambling in Kids' Games
- Kids' mobile games often incorporate casino-like features (e.g., ticking clocks, spinning wheels).
- These manipulative designs condition children to gambling-like experiences.