Part 3: Comprehensive Steps Toward Eliminating Predatory Gambling in America

Les is the national director of Stop Predatory Gambling, breaks down the history of commercialized gambling in the states and reveals who is behind organizing and protecting the nasty underpinnings of the gambling industry nationwide.

Commercialized gambling preys upon low income citizens and today’s technology allows anyone to access fast and easy gambling with just a swipe of their smartphone or tablet.

Additional background:

Stop Predatory Gambling is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the social and economic harm caused by government-sponsored gambling. The organization aims to educate the public, policymakers, and media about the systemic costs of gambling schemes, such as lotteries and casinos, arguing that these practices exploit vulnerable communities and lead to a host of social issues. Through a mix of advocacy, research, and public education campaigns, Stop Predatory Gambling offers an array of resources including case studies, reports, and testimonies to support their cause. They often collaborate with like-minded organizations and individuals to push for legislative change that would reduce or eliminate government-sponsored gambling.

The term "predatory gambling" generally refers to practices within the gambling industry that exploit vulnerable individuals for profit. This can encompass a wide range of activities, from manipulative marketing tactics to the deliberate placement of gambling establishments in economically disadvantaged communities. The goal of such predatory practices is to entice people into gambling, often leading them to incur significant debt and suffer various social and psychological harms.

1. Targeting Vulnerable Communities: One of the key features of predatory gambling is the targeting of communities that are already vulnerable, such as low-income areas where people are more likely to be enticed by the promise of quick financial gains.
2. Highly Addictive Games: Some gambling games are designed to be extremely addictive, using psychological triggers to entice players to keep spending money.
3. Misleading Marketing: Predatory gambling often involves misleading or aggressive marketing strategies that make false promises of large financial rewards.
4. Lack of Transparent Information: There may be a lack of clear, easily accessible information about the risks involved in gambling, the odds of winning, or the costs of participating.
5. High Costs and Hidden Fees: In some cases, predatory gambling practices include the use of high costs, hidden fees, or other deceptive practices that can lead to significant financial losses for participants.
6. Exploitation of Behavioral Biases: These practices often exploit common behavioral biases, like the "gambler's fallacy," to manipulate individuals into continuing to gamble even when it is against their best interests.
7. Normalization Through Government Sponsorship: In some cases, government-sponsored gambling initiatives, such as lotteries, can contribute to the normalization of gambling as a socially acceptable activity, which can further perpetuate predatory practices.
8. Lack of Regulatory Oversight: The absence or laxity of regulatory oversight can enable more predatory practices to thrive, as there may be little to no accountability for organizations that engage in unethical behavior.