Stop Predatory Gambling

02/08/2026

Sports betting is more accessible than ever, but experts in Wisconsin say that convenience is fueling a growing addiction problem, particularly among young men.

*Author’s note—this story contains mentions of su***de. If you or anybody you know needs help, please call, text or message 988 online to get immediate help from the National Su***de & Crisis H…

02/07/2026

Dr. James McKowen of the Mass. General Center for Addiction Medicine answers questions about problem sports wagering and gambling addiction ahead of the Super Bowl.

Dr. James McKowen of the Mass. General Center for Addiction Medicine answers questions about problem sports wagering and gambling addiction ahead of the Super Bowl.

02/05/2026

She Wakes Up at 3 AM to transfer her husband’s PAYCHECK so he doesn’t GAMBLE It Away 🤯

Jessica reached for her phone on the nightstand and logged into the joint bank account she shared with her husband. It was 3 A.M. and she knew a direct deposit from his job was due to hit their joint account sometime that night. She wanted to transfer it into an account he didn’t have access to before he could get his hands on it.

Her husband was a sound sleeper, so she wasn’t worried about waking him. But when she logged into the account, she saw she was too late—the money was gone. He must have already transferred it to his own separate account when she was dead asleep, before financial panic had jolted her awake.

American families are in DANGER. Half of American men aged 18-49 now have sports betting accounts, and the consequences are devastating. This one woman works 3 jobs—including cleaning houses on weekends—to pay off over $100,000 in gambling debt she didn't create. 30% of sports bettors are now in debt because of wagering, and 1 in 4 can't pay their bills. Even worse: domestic violence increases 10% after unexpected football losses in states where sports betting is legal.

Unthinkable harm will only continue to grow if we stay silent about the harm legalized sports gambling has done to this country. For the sake of this country and its citizens, speak out and call out your state legislatures. Do not ever give in and keep fighting! Call on your friends and loved ones to join the movement to stop state governments from partnering with money hungry gambling operators to prevent more victims from being harmed. RISE UP AND PREVENT AMERICA FROM BURNING ALIVE.

Read the article below to hear more stories from families that have been harmed and relationships that have been ruined from the legalization of online sports betting.

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Sports betting may primarily target men, but it’s often women who are impacted the most.

02/04/2026

🚨Casinos Create MORE Addicts Than Jobs: Pennsylvania Data Reveals Disturbing Truth🚨

The casino industry markets itself as a job creator, but the numbers tell a different story. According to the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board 2023-2024 Annual Report, casinos in Pennsylvania employ slightly more than 15,000 people (including part-time jobs), yet over 30,000 citizens have voluntarily banned themselves from these same casinos because of gambling harm—double the workforce.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Research shows only 10% of people experiencing gambling problems seek help—meaning 90% never come forward. The true number of Pennsylvania residents harmed by casinos could be staggering.

Casinos aren't job creators—they're addict creators.

RISE UP. Share across your network and speak out about the harm that casinos will bring to NYC and beyond. We need to hear YOUR voice!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

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Source: Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board 2023-2024 Annual Report, Pg. 12

https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/PGCB%20Annual%20Reportfinal.pdf

02/03/2026

State Officials CASH CHECKS while Gambling Operators PREY ON OUR KIDS

Governors and regulators have become the industry’s silent partners. They’ve watched thousands of underage kids get hooked and have taken ZERO punitive actions because they’re addicted to the tax revenue.

States are helping predatory gambling operators get away with it. Les Bernal, national director of the group Stop Predatory Gambling is quoted in the USA today article attached below, “The way the legalized markets has burgeoned in the United States has created some odd realities”

Bernal goes on to say, “State governments are partners to this industry and can’t push too hard because they’re making so much money. They’re like the arsonists and firefighters at the same time. Plus, most of the research and work around problem gambling is funded by the industry itself, again, “it’s like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank.”

Bernal believes the country is facing a predictable epidemic of teens, kids and mostly young men who have normalized sports betting. The effects we see from unrestricted gambling operators in the next decade on the mental well being of our children will be significantly devastating if we do not stand up to our local state government.

We the people must refuse to allow the next generation to end up in a pit of quick sand because of inaction from our state Governments. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Contact your local state legislatures and RISE UP. State Government officials cannot look away anymore.

Read the article below, repost, and share it to the rest of the world.

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#2026

USA TODAY obtained and reviewed hundreds of the “suspected fraud reports” required by state regulators to gauge the scale of underage gambling.

02/02/2026

Collecting isn’t broken. The predatory systems around it are.

In this powerful episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx Effron, founder of Collectors MD, The First Recovery-Focused Support Group For Collectors Navigating Compulsive Collecting & Spending, sits down with Charles Ahern IV, Project Coordinator at Stop Predatory Gambling, for a clear, personal conversation about how gambling-style mechanics are quietly reshaping collecting culture.

From loot boxes and digital packs to live breaks and chase-driven products, Charles shares how these systems are designed to trigger repeat behavior — especially among younger audiences — and why this has become a growing public health issue, not just a matter of “self-control.”

With lived experience and frontline advocacy, Charles explains the critical truth: collecting isn’t the problem — predatory design is. This episode explores awareness, education, and real paths toward reform, showing that calling out harmful mechanics isn’t anti-hobby — it’s pro-people.

Share, watch, repost and spread awareness to parents and loved ones across the country. Contact your local state legislatures and let them know enough is enough and we must put protections in place for children and save the next generation before it’s too late.

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In this episode of The Collector’s Compass, Alyx sits down with Charles Ahern IV, Project Coordinator at Stop Predatory Gambling, for a clear-eyed, deeply pe...

01/30/2026

🚨BREAKING NEWS: NEW STUDY CONFIRMS MORE THAN ONE IN THREE TEENAGE BOYS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 11 AND 17 SAY THEY GAMBLED IN THE PAST YEAR

A new survey from Common Sense Media, obtained exclusively by NBC News, delivers a devastating wake-up call for families across America: more than one in three teenage boys between the ages of 11 and 17 say they gambled in the past year. “The truth is, one out of three boys in this country are gambling online before they’re old enough to vote,” said Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media. He called the findings “absolutely astounding, and a wake-up call for every parent everywhere.”

60% of kids ages 11–17 report seeing gambling advertisements on YouTube and social media — content pushed directly into their feeds by algorithms designed to maximize engagement, not protect children. This is not your friendly poker game.

Clinical psychologist Michelle Chung, who treats teens struggling with gambling, warns this is only the beginning. She describes gambling as “the next wave of the mental health crisis that will happen in teenage boys.

Lawmakers must step in: the gambling industry must be held accountable, and laws must be passed to punish companies that exploit vulnerable children. There needs to be real consequences for companies that profit from harming kids.

RISE UP RESPOST SHARE AND SPREAD AWARENESS MOST IMPORTANTLY CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATURES BEFORE WE LEAVE THE NEXT GENERATION BEHIND!

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Read Here:

"I think the results of this new research are absolutely astounding, and a wake-up call for every parent everywhere."

01/30/2026

A new Rice University study links legalized sports betting to 30–70% higher crime from game start through four hours after, with assaults up to 93% after unexpected home-game outcomes—evidence of real public-safety fallout. All gambling expansion is predatory by design, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine now says he regrets signing the sports-betting law.

Do you believe you have a gambling problem? Click here for a list of resources, or call the Ohio Problem Gambling Hotline at 1-800-589-9966. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A new study finding that legalized sports betting is associated with sharp increases in violent and impulsive crime is adding evidenc...

01/29/2026

They rewrote the law to save a gambling company — not Tennessee families.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton pushed through last-minute law changes that helped keep a failing sportsbook alive — a company tied to payday lenders known for trapping people in high-interest debt.

Instead of protecting families, lawmakers weakened gambling regulations to benefit one struggling operator.

This is exactly how the predatory gambling industries survive: political influence over public interest.

Families lose. Corporations win.

Share, repost, and speak out in your community.

The piece, entitled "How Tennessee’s Speaker of the House Helped Keep a Payday Lender’s Struggling Sports Gambling Company Alive," reports on legislative action

01/28/2026

He lost OVER $100,000 to gambling BEFORE he could legally vote

This is what “legalized” online betting looks like for kids.

A straight-A student. Hard worker. Just 16 years old.

Then online gambling took everything.

Ben says he lost over $100,000 before turning 18. A full addiction was fueled by easy-access betting apps.

Now, counselors and Gamblers Anonymous leaders say they’re seeing kids younger than ever, deeper in debt than ever.

They call it what it is:

“This is stealing lives. It’s stealing futures.”

Since online sports betting launched, youth gambling has exploded. Kids bypass age checks. Friends share accounts. Companies profit. Families pay the price.

This is a public health crisis.

It’s time to put kids before gambling corporations. Kids are worth more than money!!

Contact your state representatives before they ruin the futures of more children! :

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Ben, who is now 21 and in recovery, was once a compulsive gambler and is sharing his story as a warning to parents.

01/28/2026

Dave Ramsey warned that online sports betting is “destroying a generation of young men,” calling FanDuel “a portal to hell” and arguing the nonstop ad blitz is funded by bettors’ losses. This is the business model of all gambling—sportsbooks, casinos, lotteries, and prediction markets—predatory extraction dressed up as entertainment.

Longtime radio personality Dave Ramsey may or may not be your cup of tea. But the man renown for giving financial advice to millions across the country has a strong message for sports fans about the rise of sports betting. On a recent edition of his radio show, Ramsey admonished sports gambling for....

01/26/2026

Two-time Call of Duty world champion Jordan “Jkap” Kaplan says legal sports betting is “ruining young men,” a warning that gambling culture is bleeding from sports into gaming and social media.

Two-time Call of Duty world champion Jordan “Jkap” Kaplan has said he believes sports gambling is ruining a generation of young men.