Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud How betting has infiltrated entertainment, and the tumultuous revamping of CBS
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Jan 15, 2026 Alyssa Mercante, a Senior reporter at Digiday, and Matthew Frank, an Associate editor at The Ankler, dive into how gambling is taking over mainstream entertainment, impacting everything from Oscar predictions to video games. They discuss the rise of prediction markets and the blurred lines between betting and political events. Jeremy Barr from The Guardian shares insights into the turmoil at CBS News under Bari Weiss, explaining the underlying tensions and their broader implications. The conversation reveals a cultural shift where gambling influences our enjoyment of art and media.
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Gambling Integrated Into Entertainment
- Prediction markets like Polymarket display odds publicly and feel indistinguishable from traditional gambling to viewers.
- Matthew Frank warns these markets are socially integrated into entertainment and alter how audiences engage with awards shows.
WNBA Sex-Toy Bet Example
- Alyssa Mercante described covering a Polymarket bet about a sex toy being thrown at a WNBA game as grotesque and misogynistic.
- She said seeing gambling normalized in that way provoked a strong disgust reaction.
Markets Shift From Politics To Culture
- Prediction markets expanded from politics to entertainment after 2024 and now let users bet on Rotten Tomatoes and other cultural metrics.
- Matthew Frank notes this growth creates legal and ethical gray areas, including insider advantage concerns.