David Sasaki

Introduction Two competing narratives The growth of the sports betting industry Who bets on sports? A typology What are the financial and social effects? Policy approaches to reducing financial and social harm Key policy issues to watch in 2026 Conclusion Introduction Over the last eight years, legal sports betting has transformed from a niche activity in Nevada to a mass-market consumer product delivered through smartphones.

Hello everyone, and welcome. We’re excited to kick off this newsletter as part of our Boys & Men Online program at the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM). At their best, digital technologies expand our agency, relationships, and sense of purpose like a “bicycle for the mind.” But increasingly, our phones feel more like slot machines; we reach for them not because we choose to, but because we can’t stop.

After three flights and a few delays, it was 1 am by the time I arrived at my hotel in Nairobi, but only 2 pm according to my body, which was stuck 11 hours in the past. I popped a melatonin and began counting sheep. Four hours later, I was wide awake but looked like a haggard mess. It was 5:30 am, pre-dawn, and in three more hours, my colleague and I would convene more than 25 Kenyan grantee organizations for a four-hour workshop. It was going to be a long day.