Fresh Air Inside the explosive growth of sports betting
60 snips
Mar 12, 2026 
McKay Coppins, Atlantic staff writer who spent an NFL season gambling a $10,000 bankroll to study sports betting up close. He recounts the explosive growth of betting, leagues and media partnering with sportsbooks, how betting changes fan perception, and the rise of predictive markets and regulatory gaps.
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Scandals Hint At Widespread Game Manipulation
- FBI indictments revealed interlocking schemes including alleged NBA players tipping outcomes to benefit gamblers.
- The arrests involved players, a retired Hall of Famer turned coach, and alleged mafia figures, suggesting deeper integrity risks.
Commercial Ties Undermine Betting Oversight
- Leagues and sports media face inherent conflicts because they now earn money from sportsbooks, undermining policing incentives.
- Examples include partnerships and live ads that force outlets to remove betting promos during scandal coverage.
Gambling Made A Skeptical Journalist Turn Paranoid
- While gambling, McKay Coppins found himself suspecting refs and conspiracies after losing a bet on an NBA game.
- He scrolled Twitter for fellow complainers, realizing gambling warped his normally skeptical, evidence-driven mindset into paranoia.