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Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling
This jaw-dropping book pulls back the curtain on the alluring yet perilous world of American sports gambling.
Everybody Loses is the first major investigation into America’s sports gambling industry. Journalist Danny Funt has obtained wild stories and stunning admissions by interviewing the power players of the betting boom. They reveal the alarming consequences playing out as our nation of sports fans transforms into a nation of sports gamblers.
Many people within the business, including high up at the dominant companies FanDuel and DraftKings, are increasingly troubled about the methods they’ve been using to bleed Americans dry. As one former sportsbook executive says, they’re “selling that you can win, but you can’t.” Another confesses “you don’t feel good about it, that’s for sure.” But the money has proven to be irresistible.
In Everybody Loses, sportsbook employees divulge the perks they offer their biggest losers to keep them hooked, from courtside seats to tossing the first pitch at an MLB game. Oddsmakers spill their methods of skewing the numbers in their favor. Lobbyists detail how they converted skeptical politicians into gambling industry cheerleaders. Professional gamblers describe the network of “beards” they use to circumvent the industry’s attempts to block them from winning. Insiders recall their secret meetings with NBA, NFL, and MLB executives, where they laid out how much money the leagues stood to make by partnering with sportsbooks. Athletes describe the tireless harassment they get from gamblers. Addicts talk about their attempts to hide their habit. Students who are legally too young to gamble talk about how easy it is to get on the apps.
Perfect for sports fans, concerned parents, and anyone intrigued by the intersection of money and morals, this book is crucial to understanding why sports gambling is suddenly everywhere—and why the odds are so great that things will soon spiral out of control.
Everybody Loses is the first major investigation into America’s sports gambling industry. Journalist Danny Funt has obtained wild stories and stunning admissions by interviewing the power players of the betting boom. They reveal the alarming consequences playing out as our nation of sports fans transforms into a nation of sports gamblers.
Many people within the business, including high up at the dominant companies FanDuel and DraftKings, are increasingly troubled about the methods they’ve been using to bleed Americans dry. As one former sportsbook executive says, they’re “selling that you can win, but you can’t.” Another confesses “you don’t feel good about it, that’s for sure.” But the money has proven to be irresistible.
In Everybody Loses, sportsbook employees divulge the perks they offer their biggest losers to keep them hooked, from courtside seats to tossing the first pitch at an MLB game. Oddsmakers spill their methods of skewing the numbers in their favor. Lobbyists detail how they converted skeptical politicians into gambling industry cheerleaders. Professional gamblers describe the network of “beards” they use to circumvent the industry’s attempts to block them from winning. Insiders recall their secret meetings with NBA, NFL, and MLB executives, where they laid out how much money the leagues stood to make by partnering with sportsbooks. Athletes describe the tireless harassment they get from gamblers. Addicts talk about their attempts to hide their habit. Students who are legally too young to gamble talk about how easy it is to get on the apps.
Perfect for sports fans, concerned parents, and anyone intrigued by the intersection of money and morals, this book is crucial to understanding why sports gambling is suddenly everywhere—and why the odds are so great that things will soon spiral out of control.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2026
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January 30, 2026
Who would have thought that legalizing gambling would lead to problems! Oh, a lot of people did? Well then.
Danny Funt went ahead and wrote a book about all of these problems in his revelatory Everybody Loses. As you may have guessed from the title, it does not take a positive look at gambling. However, don't mistake this as a polemic about the evils of everyone who is a part of it. First of all, Funt himself admits to putting down a few dollars here and there. Second, this is not about shouting down gamblers. This is about raising awareness of the entire gambling system and some troubling conflicts of interest within.
There are some truly eye-opening sections of the narrative. I never considered how difficult it must be to be a college athlete who might go to class the day after a bad game to face people who lost big money on him or her. Or how reporters and talking heads may be giving you betting advice while they are literally paid by sportsbooks who make money when you lose.
I've read quite a few books where a journalist makes the jump to a full-length book and it feels like a bunch of articles stitched together with fluff. This is not one of those books. Funt keeps the easy prose of a journalist, but he then builds a monument to the troubles of gambling. He never loses sight of the people with the most to lose in this - the gamblers and the people around them who may be part of the fallout. This is a must-read for everyone, even non-sports fans.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Gallery Books.)
Danny Funt went ahead and wrote a book about all of these problems in his revelatory Everybody Loses. As you may have guessed from the title, it does not take a positive look at gambling. However, don't mistake this as a polemic about the evils of everyone who is a part of it. First of all, Funt himself admits to putting down a few dollars here and there. Second, this is not about shouting down gamblers. This is about raising awareness of the entire gambling system and some troubling conflicts of interest within.
There are some truly eye-opening sections of the narrative. I never considered how difficult it must be to be a college athlete who might go to class the day after a bad game to face people who lost big money on him or her. Or how reporters and talking heads may be giving you betting advice while they are literally paid by sportsbooks who make money when you lose.
I've read quite a few books where a journalist makes the jump to a full-length book and it feels like a bunch of articles stitched together with fluff. This is not one of those books. Funt keeps the easy prose of a journalist, but he then builds a monument to the troubles of gambling. He never loses sight of the people with the most to lose in this - the gamblers and the people around them who may be part of the fallout. This is a must-read for everyone, even non-sports fans.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Gallery Books.)
February 6, 2026
In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, the story is told of three brothers who cheated death and were given a super-magical object as a reward. One of the brothers asked for a stone to raise the dead to life, hoping to bring his departed love back. He succeeded, but the lover was a ghastly imitation of her former self. In the end, the brother took his own life, hoping to join his lover in a better world.
This story helps convey the argument Danny Funt makes in his excellent book. Sports betting has become a ubiquitous practice, with fifty percent of U.S. men ages 18-49 owning a sports betting account. Most major sports leagues have partnerships with sports betting companies. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that’s only growing. It appears to us like a powerful magical object, able to deliver the promise of hundreds of billions of dollars to executives and the chance for the everyday man to win thousands on their apps. But as Funt reports for over 300 pages, sports betting just as ghastly as a living corpse.
Funt meticulously records how the major players in the industry (DraftKings and FanDuel), prey on people with false advertising through payday bonuses, kickback the net losses of players with affiliates who promote their links, and target VIPs with rewards to keep betting. Funt even documents how these companies limit players from winning, or from winning too much. A former PointsBet employee even made this revealing statement: “Your job is to maximize value to the shareholders. It’s not to be a good, moral citizen.” (240)
That’s ultimately the great strength of Funt’s book: the documentation of the moral cost to sports betting. Not only are sports players harassed on a daily basis for breaking a gamblers parlays, they are enticed to fix games for mega-profits. As time goes on, Funt’s research holds up: more and more players and coaches are getting busted for fixing games. This all leads to a damning statistic: close to half of Americans believe sports betting damages the integrity of sports. How can you know whether someone truly won or lost if billions are on the line?
Sports betting is pushed as a way to engage more in sports and to that end, it has had a dramatic effect on the viewership per game. But to what cost? The lover is back to life, but it’s a mere apparition of the form that came before. Sports betting leaves debt, divorce, bankruptcy, abuse, death, and addiction in its wake. When will we wake up to see the cost is too high?
This has special import to Christians who believe God, as the Creator, has given us charge to steward the world to its proper, God-glorifying ends (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 8:6). As a result, God calls us to live in his transcendent moral order (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:37–40; Mark 12:29–31; Luke 10:27–28), and this includes living in such a way as to prohibit injustice in our lives and in society (Exod. 20:2–17; Mic. 6:8).
Sports betting is an unjust practice that denies the wisdom of God’s word (Prov. 13:11; 14:23; 28:19-20; Ecc. 5:10; Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 12:15; 1 Cor. 6:12; 2 Thess. 3:10; 1 Tim. 6:9-10, 17-19; Heb. 13:5). It violates our call to be good stewards, virtuous people, and lovers of God and neighbor. It is a practice that promotes and fosters greed, idolatry, and injustice not just in individuals, but in the broader society. Why do it?
Funt wraps up his book by saying this, “I called sports betting legalization a risky gamble, but I’m not sure that’s right: in a bet, the winners get back whatever they risked. Legalization is more like a trade-off: we know that as a result, more people will become addicted and more families will suffer; more people who work in sports will be harassed; more media outlets will be compelled to pull punches; more games will be compromised; more kids will take up gambling. And for what, exactly?” (293)
I couldn’t sum it up any better: for what?
This story helps convey the argument Danny Funt makes in his excellent book. Sports betting has become a ubiquitous practice, with fifty percent of U.S. men ages 18-49 owning a sports betting account. Most major sports leagues have partnerships with sports betting companies. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that’s only growing. It appears to us like a powerful magical object, able to deliver the promise of hundreds of billions of dollars to executives and the chance for the everyday man to win thousands on their apps. But as Funt reports for over 300 pages, sports betting just as ghastly as a living corpse.
Funt meticulously records how the major players in the industry (DraftKings and FanDuel), prey on people with false advertising through payday bonuses, kickback the net losses of players with affiliates who promote their links, and target VIPs with rewards to keep betting. Funt even documents how these companies limit players from winning, or from winning too much. A former PointsBet employee even made this revealing statement: “Your job is to maximize value to the shareholders. It’s not to be a good, moral citizen.” (240)
That’s ultimately the great strength of Funt’s book: the documentation of the moral cost to sports betting. Not only are sports players harassed on a daily basis for breaking a gamblers parlays, they are enticed to fix games for mega-profits. As time goes on, Funt’s research holds up: more and more players and coaches are getting busted for fixing games. This all leads to a damning statistic: close to half of Americans believe sports betting damages the integrity of sports. How can you know whether someone truly won or lost if billions are on the line?
Sports betting is pushed as a way to engage more in sports and to that end, it has had a dramatic effect on the viewership per game. But to what cost? The lover is back to life, but it’s a mere apparition of the form that came before. Sports betting leaves debt, divorce, bankruptcy, abuse, death, and addiction in its wake. When will we wake up to see the cost is too high?
This has special import to Christians who believe God, as the Creator, has given us charge to steward the world to its proper, God-glorifying ends (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 8:6). As a result, God calls us to live in his transcendent moral order (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; Matt. 22:37–40; Mark 12:29–31; Luke 10:27–28), and this includes living in such a way as to prohibit injustice in our lives and in society (Exod. 20:2–17; Mic. 6:8).
Sports betting is an unjust practice that denies the wisdom of God’s word (Prov. 13:11; 14:23; 28:19-20; Ecc. 5:10; Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 12:15; 1 Cor. 6:12; 2 Thess. 3:10; 1 Tim. 6:9-10, 17-19; Heb. 13:5). It violates our call to be good stewards, virtuous people, and lovers of God and neighbor. It is a practice that promotes and fosters greed, idolatry, and injustice not just in individuals, but in the broader society. Why do it?
Funt wraps up his book by saying this, “I called sports betting legalization a risky gamble, but I’m not sure that’s right: in a bet, the winners get back whatever they risked. Legalization is more like a trade-off: we know that as a result, more people will become addicted and more families will suffer; more people who work in sports will be harassed; more media outlets will be compelled to pull punches; more games will be compromised; more kids will take up gambling. And for what, exactly?” (293)
I couldn’t sum it up any better: for what?
March 23, 2026
the last chapter genuinely had me feeling sick. a fucking plague to our world!!! it’s fuck kalshi, polymarket, fanduel, draft kings, prize picks, and all other online gambling platforms FOREVER!!!
March 13, 2026
3.75 - 4.0 stars.
I am not a big gambler & I never bet on sports via my phone. Occasionally I enjoy visiting a casino, but never for the sake of visiting a casino. I usually end up there by attending a sporting event or a concert and when I’m there I will play blackjack with a limited amount of money that I’m willing, but hoping not to lose.
What interested me in this book stems from attending last year’s first round March Madness games. I knew about online sports gambling but never witnessed it first hand until I sat behind a group of millennials during these games. These ‘fans’ weren’t interested in the games at all. Their only interest seemed to be in their bets, especially their in-game prop bets. Nothing like going to a game and watching your phone! I remember commenting that the days of going to a sporting event and simply enjoying the sporting event were gone. I love sports & love to watch sports for the love of sports. Ok … I’m old.
All that said, here are some random notes I made while reading:
• Sports gambling has always been there but now it’s everywhere & it’s legal.
• Sports gambling (and all forms of online gambling) are ‘deliberately engineered to be highly addictive.’ Parallels made to the tobacco industry seem reasonable, especially in targeting young people (teenagers & college students).
• The integrity of the games can and has been compromised … so has the safety of many athletes, with threats being made by losing gamblers.
• The independence of media, especially sports media, can and has been negatively impacted
• Enjoyment of sports without wagering is becoming a rare commodity.
• The system is incredibly rigged in favor of the betting companies. Some of the most popular bets greatly favor the house.
• As with most things these days, this business is all about the money. And not money for those doing the gambling.
• Major leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) abandoned their long-standing opposition to gambling once they realized the immense profits involved.
• Sports betting is an antisocial activity … just like all Social Media is (my comment)… and definitely leads to mental health issues.
Finally, after reading the book I looked at the comments that are often on the back of book jackets. There’s one on this book that perfectly expresses my feelings. It is by former MLB manager Joe Maddon …
“This outstanding book is the first to fully illuminate the imminent danger gambling poses to sports. My advice after reading Everybody Loses? Keep your hard-earned money and enjoy the game.”
I am not a big gambler & I never bet on sports via my phone. Occasionally I enjoy visiting a casino, but never for the sake of visiting a casino. I usually end up there by attending a sporting event or a concert and when I’m there I will play blackjack with a limited amount of money that I’m willing, but hoping not to lose.
What interested me in this book stems from attending last year’s first round March Madness games. I knew about online sports gambling but never witnessed it first hand until I sat behind a group of millennials during these games. These ‘fans’ weren’t interested in the games at all. Their only interest seemed to be in their bets, especially their in-game prop bets. Nothing like going to a game and watching your phone! I remember commenting that the days of going to a sporting event and simply enjoying the sporting event were gone. I love sports & love to watch sports for the love of sports. Ok … I’m old.
All that said, here are some random notes I made while reading:
• Sports gambling has always been there but now it’s everywhere & it’s legal.
• Sports gambling (and all forms of online gambling) are ‘deliberately engineered to be highly addictive.’ Parallels made to the tobacco industry seem reasonable, especially in targeting young people (teenagers & college students).
• The integrity of the games can and has been compromised … so has the safety of many athletes, with threats being made by losing gamblers.
• The independence of media, especially sports media, can and has been negatively impacted
• Enjoyment of sports without wagering is becoming a rare commodity.
• The system is incredibly rigged in favor of the betting companies. Some of the most popular bets greatly favor the house.
• As with most things these days, this business is all about the money. And not money for those doing the gambling.
• Major leagues (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) abandoned their long-standing opposition to gambling once they realized the immense profits involved.
• Sports betting is an antisocial activity … just like all Social Media is (my comment)… and definitely leads to mental health issues.
Finally, after reading the book I looked at the comments that are often on the back of book jackets. There’s one on this book that perfectly expresses my feelings. It is by former MLB manager Joe Maddon …
“This outstanding book is the first to fully illuminate the imminent danger gambling poses to sports. My advice after reading Everybody Loses? Keep your hard-earned money and enjoy the game.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2026
4.5 stars rounded down.
This was an extremely thorough book on the state of the gambling, sorry “gaming”, industry and its expanse into all areas of American sports.
I’ve always had a very Baptist aversion to gambling, but that is more through the lens of an individual vice and waste of God-given resources. This book opened my eyes further to the real wider ranging societal pitfalls that have come and are coming with Draftkings and Fanduel everywhere. It’s a real shame, and also wholly unsurprising, how predatory these companies are.
Now it’s time for me to advocate for the SAFE Bet Act mentioned at the end of the book and cash in on the one bet guaranteed to pay off—growing personally in living virtuously before God through the power of the Spirit and helping others do that too.
This was an extremely thorough book on the state of the gambling, sorry “gaming”, industry and its expanse into all areas of American sports.
I’ve always had a very Baptist aversion to gambling, but that is more through the lens of an individual vice and waste of God-given resources. This book opened my eyes further to the real wider ranging societal pitfalls that have come and are coming with Draftkings and Fanduel everywhere. It’s a real shame, and also wholly unsurprising, how predatory these companies are.
Now it’s time for me to advocate for the SAFE Bet Act mentioned at the end of the book and cash in on the one bet guaranteed to pay off—growing personally in living virtuously before God through the power of the Spirit and helping others do that too.
February 19, 2026
A phenomenal but incredibly alarming read. Talk about a book that makes you want to shower after reading it. Between the evil sociopathic greed of all these sports gambling sites and the sickening outrageous hypocrisy of all the major sports leagues, to say this book left me utterly disgusted wouldn’t do it justice. As angering of a read this was, at the same time it was incredibly educational and informative. It gives an excellent recounting of the current state of sports gambling and how addicting & dangerous it truly is. And because of that, this book is a fantastic resource for anyone who loves sports but has major concerns about the direction they’ve taken as gambling has become legalized in most of the country. DraftKings and FanDuel…talk about dirty rotten bastards. Absolutely stunning how corrupt they are. With all that said, I highly recommend this one!
February 26, 2026
Danny shared his expertise with me for some reporting we did at USAT on youth gambling. I ended up bumping into the same young experts Rose-Berman and Minnick. You should get this book!
June 6, 2026
I read this book because I've always loved sports but I was blissfully unaware of the sports gambling epidemic our country is speeding toward. This investigative report on the current (2025 publishing date) state of legalized sports gambling in the US is outstanding yet very sombering. The focus is on legalized sports gambling - now practically nationwide - since the Supreme Court in 2018 ruled individual states could determine their own sports gambling laws. This decision, coupled with the Covid lock down, provided the perfect storm for a huge increase in American gambling. The majority of new gamblers were young men between the ages of 18 and 39. The author presents both sides of the argument beginning with the windfall of tax revenues to local and federal governments but also details the sad statistics of the gambling losers who fully fund this tax revenue. Obviously, a Goodreads review isn't meant to list every fact and stat but here are 2 that give me pause to consider my opinion on legalized sports gambling: 1) government data shows that 10% of men ages 18-29 who have gambled on sports have considered suicide and 2) the State of New Jersey (which is the 2nd most mature state for sports gambling) estimates that 6.5% of men in New Jersey are addicted to sports gambling.
Included are many episodes of sports being threatened by gamblers. The examples stunned me. Here is a synopsis of one incident. In 2024, Purdue played Grambling State in the 1st round of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament with a point spread of 27.5. A senior walkon practice player for Purdue who had wrecked his knee in practice at the beginning of the season had worked himself back to be on the team by year end. He was put into the game in the last minute and hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining, which made the final score a 28 point victory by Purdue, thereby covering the spread. The entire Purdue team celebrated their inspirational teammate whose family was present at the game. Afterward, his social media accounts were inundated with vile hatred and personal threats because of the point spread!!! If you are like me and want a primer on the current state of sports gambling in the US, this book is really good.
Included are many episodes of sports being threatened by gamblers. The examples stunned me. Here is a synopsis of one incident. In 2024, Purdue played Grambling State in the 1st round of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament with a point spread of 27.5. A senior walkon practice player for Purdue who had wrecked his knee in practice at the beginning of the season had worked himself back to be on the team by year end. He was put into the game in the last minute and hit a 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining, which made the final score a 28 point victory by Purdue, thereby covering the spread. The entire Purdue team celebrated their inspirational teammate whose family was present at the game. Afterward, his social media accounts were inundated with vile hatred and personal threats because of the point spread!!! If you are like me and want a primer on the current state of sports gambling in the US, this book is really good.
June 5, 2026
I’m heartbroken. Sports gambling is simply a silent killer. I remember two summers ago after reading Anxious Generation I had a pit in my stomach because the findings were so dark. That familiar feeling has returned having read Everybody Loses.
America is trading its citizens souls to profit off a highly addictive and incredibly accessible and available product. This is a must parenting book as the vulnerable and the weak are the ones gambling companies target.
This is smoking all over again. One day our kids will ask us, “Dad, sports gambling was legal?!”
I’m honestly sickened by these findings and unfortunately as the author put it, we are in the early innings. One day there could be more gambling parlors than McDonald’s as is the case in the UK where they are 20 years ahead of us with this stuff.
This is bad. Really really bad. I wish I hadn’t read this but I’m very thankful I did.
America is trading its citizens souls to profit off a highly addictive and incredibly accessible and available product. This is a must parenting book as the vulnerable and the weak are the ones gambling companies target.
This is smoking all over again. One day our kids will ask us, “Dad, sports gambling was legal?!”
I’m honestly sickened by these findings and unfortunately as the author put it, we are in the early innings. One day there could be more gambling parlors than McDonald’s as is the case in the UK where they are 20 years ahead of us with this stuff.
This is bad. Really really bad. I wish I hadn’t read this but I’m very thankful I did.
March 24, 2026
Ah yes, putting gambling apps on our phones! What could possibly go wrong? Everything? Right.
April 21, 2026
A really important book to bring to light all the problems legalizing sports betting (and other types of online gambling) is causing
February 24, 2026
A very interesting read about the history and potential future of American sports gambling. I found the interviews and studies super interesting and it made for a very compelling read. Hearing people from the industry speak candidly about the industry was super interesting. I think it’s shocking how normalized gambling especially on phones has become, and the harms associated with it. The suicide rate and ease with which gambling addiction can take hold is one of the hardest parts in the book to read. Highly recommend for anyone interested in sports and gambling or the way sports interacts with society.
Related: Michael Lewis’s podcast Against the Rules has a whole season on sports gambling in America which would make an excellent companion/supplement to this.
Related: Michael Lewis’s podcast Against the Rules has a whole season on sports gambling in America which would make an excellent companion/supplement to this.
May 29, 2026
Very well written book with lots of history, interviews, perspectives, and explanations for the pervasive and predatory nature of sports gambling. At every level, the love of money is at the root of the evil that is being caused. Lives are being devastated, and the enjoyment of sports is being ruined. This is a worthwhile read.
February 7, 2026
Really well written and a fascinating story. I had no idea sportsbook companies were so quick to block/severely limit people who gambled well. The industry is far more scummy than I ever I magined!
January 26, 2026
Finally... a book that admits an expansion of gambling in American sports might cause big trouble. We are on the verge of major scandals in one or many sports because of gambling... players losing big and being compelled to throw games... gamblers threatening players and their families to make prop bets... and on and on. It's all here, especially the hypocrisy of major sports talking about integrity and honesty when they are all greedily taking as much gambling money as possible... and don't forget about the complicity of the media and government in letting all this go on with mostly a shrug of the shoulders and their own sips at the trough. And if this all destroys lives, well, that's not their problem, is it? A wonderful thing to read during all the gambling shows on TV...
January 31, 2026
A well-written, deeply-researched, and illuminating yet disturbing read. Very highly recommended to anyone with an interest in gambling, sports, addiction, and the impact of all of the above on society at large.
January 25, 2026
Fascinating and fast-paced, Everybody Loses is a must-read for anyone who, like me, is wondering how sports betting took over our culture. I thought Funt delivered deep, fair reporting on the industry’s inner workings and the growing impact on society after legalization. So many fascinating interviews with sports players, managers, employees, bookies, gamblers, politicians, lawyers, addicts, activists, family members, industry insiders.. Even if you're not a sports better or major sports fan, the book is relevant to all of us. I couldn’t put it down.
April 18, 2026
3.5 - I appreciated that this book opened my eyes to the pervasive and exploitative world of sports gambling. It’s awful! But something about the writing I didn’t love. It was also written for people who watch sports more closely than I do.
March 11, 2026
As a sports fan who has been, and still is, deeply, deeply annoyed at the explosion of gambling content that has swamped actual sports news and analysis in the last decade, and as a cheapskate who is against losing money, I was predisposed to like and agree with this book. And it’s a likeable, extremely well-written book, good enough to be recommended just on readability alone.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how infuriating it would be; the way the gambling industry has exploded in size, avoided regulation, preyed upon its users, and (I’m sorry about this; writing about gambling suggests all sorts of punny metaphors that I’m simply not a good enough writer to avoid) stacks the deck (sigh; sorry again) in its own favor while blaming those whose lived are ruined for their own problems seems to me to be yet another example of very large industries profiting by causing misery for average people. [I’m sure the reader can think of other relevant examples; if inspiration is required, check the list of the world’s richest people for ideas.]
I also wasn’t prepared for how empathetically riveting many of the stories would be. I am fortunate to live in a state that has still not legalized sports betting, and yet more fortunate that the current explosion didn’t hit until I was middle-aged. But if someone handed eighteen- or twenty-one-year-old me a smartphone filled with gambling apps offering massive dopamine hits and math I couldn’t do in my head well enough to see how huge a disadvantage I was at? I feel certain I could be one of the horror stories.
This book is great, then, for hardening the beliefs I already had. I hope that those on the fence, or even those who feel differently than I do, can be convinced otherwise by this book.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how infuriating it would be; the way the gambling industry has exploded in size, avoided regulation, preyed upon its users, and (I’m sorry about this; writing about gambling suggests all sorts of punny metaphors that I’m simply not a good enough writer to avoid) stacks the deck (sigh; sorry again) in its own favor while blaming those whose lived are ruined for their own problems seems to me to be yet another example of very large industries profiting by causing misery for average people. [I’m sure the reader can think of other relevant examples; if inspiration is required, check the list of the world’s richest people for ideas.]
I also wasn’t prepared for how empathetically riveting many of the stories would be. I am fortunate to live in a state that has still not legalized sports betting, and yet more fortunate that the current explosion didn’t hit until I was middle-aged. But if someone handed eighteen- or twenty-one-year-old me a smartphone filled with gambling apps offering massive dopamine hits and math I couldn’t do in my head well enough to see how huge a disadvantage I was at? I feel certain I could be one of the horror stories.
This book is great, then, for hardening the beliefs I already had. I hope that those on the fence, or even those who feel differently than I do, can be convinced otherwise by this book.
March 12, 2026
A well-composed book that made me realize I’m missing out. I need to start gambling.
But, it’s well-researched, and flows so well, that it really makes a great argument of how insidious the recent explosion of sports gambling plastered everywhere really is and the harm it’s doing. The guardrails have been completely removed, and for the sake of earning a very select few more money, it is creating a sink hole that will probably lead to disaster.
On the other hand, isn’t it fun to maintain the illusion you can win a ton of money on a prop bet, despite all evidence proving that it’s nearly impossible?
But, it’s well-researched, and flows so well, that it really makes a great argument of how insidious the recent explosion of sports gambling plastered everywhere really is and the harm it’s doing. The guardrails have been completely removed, and for the sake of earning a very select few more money, it is creating a sink hole that will probably lead to disaster.
On the other hand, isn’t it fun to maintain the illusion you can win a ton of money on a prop bet, despite all evidence proving that it’s nearly impossible?
April 8, 2026
Best nonfiction book I’ve read in a long time. Filled with detailed historical background, research, and interviews from people within and impacted by the online sports gambling industry and incredibly compelling writing. A huge wake up call for the one of the most destructive addictions of our day, and I was impressed with how clearly he portrayed the destructiveness without just sounding like a crazy person ranting.
I felt uneasy previously about how universally casually young adults today speak about sports gambling, so read this to learn more, but now I can unequivocally say to anyone how evil sports gambling is. Everybody involved loses.
I felt uneasy previously about how universally casually young adults today speak about sports gambling, so read this to learn more, but now I can unequivocally say to anyone how evil sports gambling is. Everybody involved loses.
May 25, 2026
I have never gambled in my life and know nothing about it, but I’ve gotten interested in whats happening with gambling in the US because of how many young people are involved in it now and the advertising for it is everywhere.
Well-researched book that confirmed what I feared, that almost everyone gets screwed except gambling businesses, and while consumers think they are planning to win money, corporations are clear that this is not about winning money. It is only a form of entertainment. Customers should anticipate losing. Crazy. I learned a lot, this seems like a topic that will become a huge deal for public health over the next couple of years.
Well-researched book that confirmed what I feared, that almost everyone gets screwed except gambling businesses, and while consumers think they are planning to win money, corporations are clear that this is not about winning money. It is only a form of entertainment. Customers should anticipate losing. Crazy. I learned a lot, this seems like a topic that will become a huge deal for public health over the next couple of years.
April 29, 2026
This book is exceptional and a very timely investigative piece at a time where sports gambling is fed to fans (and non-fans) nonstop. Sports gambling truly is eroding the integrity of sports. I don’t think you have to be a sports fan to appreciate this book either, though it is quite dense with sports and gambling jargon. My favorite part of the book is when one of the experts he is interviewing essentially asks “what has gone wrong with a society that so may people have to chase a high through gambling, alcohol, or drug addiction” and I wish that had been explored deeper in an additional chapter, but I’m sure Funt could write an entire book on that.
Did Not Finish
June 7, 2026DNF at 14%. The audiobook isn't working for me. The narrator has an odd cadence where all the clauses sound the same. There is no inflection or emotion. Not sure I can completely blame the narrator though, as the first couple of chapters of this were written as a series of facts. There was no running story. I never fully understood why I was being told these facts and what the author wanted me to understand from them. I just need more through lines connecting the facts together into a cohesive history.
March 16, 2026
Really enjoyable book about the risks of sports gambling. Of course, there is NOTHING wrong with an occasional bet BUT not realizing the game is rigged against you is the problem.
These gambling sites do EVERYTHING they can to hook you but if you win, they punish you.
As the old saying goes, “the most expensive things are ‘free’”.
If a gamble site/casino gives you a “free” gift, think about that.
These gambling sites do EVERYTHING they can to hook you but if you win, they punish you.
As the old saying goes, “the most expensive things are ‘free’”.
If a gamble site/casino gives you a “free” gift, think about that.
February 23, 2026
The 60 pages on the legalization of American gambling are way too long. I don’t need a history or accounting for why we’re here. It adds nothing to the later sections of the book.
Still, the later sections are quiet excellent. The use of anecdotal devastation that ruins lives and the likelihood that sports books will lean into parlays more and more is compelling.
I think this would be a better read scrapping those weak 60 pages and looking into how states could actually regulate gambling, but I’d recommend this book as a focused chapter read.
Still, the later sections are quiet excellent. The use of anecdotal devastation that ruins lives and the likelihood that sports books will lean into parlays more and more is compelling.
I think this would be a better read scrapping those weak 60 pages and looking into how states could actually regulate gambling, but I’d recommend this book as a focused chapter read.
February 25, 2026
Alright Imma be real and say I probably retained about 47% of this book because sportsbetting is not my forte nor my vice of choice (god bless for that), but what I did comprehend....lmao YIKES. To quote Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar: America has a problem. But not my problem, inshallah! FanDuel get thee away from me.
March 25, 2026
fascinating, wild, and worthwhile.
if you're interested enough in this topic to pick up this book, you probably won't be shocked by anything in here, but it's meaningful to see the numbers and mechanics behind the sports betting madness
if you're interested enough in this topic to pick up this book, you probably won't be shocked by anything in here, but it's meaningful to see the numbers and mechanics behind the sports betting madness
January 24, 2026
Really interesting and well-researched look into a growing crisis in this country. I just wish the publishing schedule had lined up to cover the rise of “prediction markets.”
May 31, 2026
Who would have ever thought that legalizing sports gambling would cause problems??🤦🏼♂️
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