The Casino-ification of America

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News Commentary, News

4.7 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2026

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 2017, Americans legally bet about $5 billion on sports. Last year, that number rose to $160 billion. Gambling hasn’t just taken over sports. It’s invaded culture, politics, and even international warfare. Bettors have already made millions of dollars wagering on the precise dates and locations of bombing campaigns in Iran, and journalists have been hounded for reporting on events that can lose bettors money. It’s one thing to believe, as I do, that it would be foolish to entirely ban sports gambling in the U.S. It’s another to watch the warp-speed casino-ification of American life and not think, “Something has gone badly wrong here!” McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic, joins the show to discuss his new cover story on how gambling conquered sports … and everything else. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: McKay Coppins Producer: Devon Baroldi Links: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/04/online-sports-betting-app-addiction/686061/ Source for all photos: Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The weight is over. Last One Laughing is back and it's even more brutal than last time.
0:11.0	Share your biggest regrets.
0:13.0	I don't regret this haircut.
0:14.0	What did you ask for? The Shaggy Slim Shady?
0:16.0	Joining us this series we have.
0:18.0	Bromish Wengrenka Nathan.
0:19.0	Diane Morgan.
0:20.0	David Mitchell. Mel Gedroach. Amy Gledhill, Alan Carr,
0:22.7	Bemi Sola, Icki-Mello, Sam Campbell, Maisie Adam, and Bob Mortimer.
0:27.0	Anyone want a song?
0:28.8	No.
0:29.8	Last One Laughing, new series, watch now.
0:33.0	Only on Prime Video.
0:35.8	I want to tell you three stories about the state of gambling in America.
0:40.6	Story one.
0:42.0	On the morning of February 28th, someone logged on to the prediction market website, Polymarket,
0:48.6	and placed a $32,000 bet.
0:51.6	This bet wasn't placed on an NBA game.
0:55.7	It wasn't placed on a hockey game.
0:57.3	It wasn't placed on any sport.
1:03.9	This was a bet that the United States would bomb Iran that very day at a time when the odds said it was an extremely low probability chance of happening.
1:08.6	A few hours later, the bombs fell, and that one bet turned into a
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Ringer, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Ringer and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.