I kinda wish the pinned comments were like how they once were, genuine confused people instead of people who are just playing it up, I mean it made me laugh though so not all bad.
Reminds me of how alcohol is advertised. they always sorta just whisper “drink responsibly” right after essentially telling you drinking will make you happier than you’ve ever been
it's kind of an online gamble watching your videos because i WANT to see amanda (winning money) but it's usually just you talking (losing all your money)
gambling in australia is crazy. every bistro or pub has a massive room full of slot machines called the pokies and when you peak in there it’s mostly middle aged-elderly men and women sitting there with deadpan faces. they put sportsbet ads everywhere especially during footy season and then it’s followed by the mandatory “gambling can ruin lives - authorised by the australian government, canberra” cue card. i always thought it was a generational thing until i found out a few of my mates bet on the afl and lose mad money - very scary and oddly normalised here. great video drew
@@rhiannonstull3032 I quit my job as a gas station clerk as soon as I could, there was an older dude (under 50, but close) that would come in and spend the better part of 3 hours buying, scratching, and re-buying lotto tickets. No drinks, no snacks, nothing. That didn't bother me, it was his 3yo child that walked with him. Back and forth, between the counter and the scratching post. He never bought her anything in the 5 months I worked there
Sport betting ads are completely our of hand just due to saturation in Australia. RUclips is guaranteed that over 50% of ads are Sportsbet (unskippable or course), and the remaining 50% still ahve a chance to be an ad for another gambling app, podcasts that do geo-location ads are 90% Neds ads by volume, and if they dont I'm getting American sportbook ads just as much. Its literally exhausting
The worst part is that we can't control it because the gambling and sports companies reliant on gambling money have the politicians in their back pockets so time for more ads at 6pm where the children can see it while they're watching the footy. That seems fine.
Also not to mention with online betting so readily available now. A lot of the bookies/companies hosting the bets are from other countries sending our money away offshore instead of remaining within the local/national economy. Moreover, online betting lets people do it from the comfort and privacy of their own home with no one to be able to watch for those signs of problem gambling. I worked as a TAB operator for 6 years and the droppoff in punters coming to venues to bet is scary.
Drew’s years-long pivot from “how dare you cut a bagel weird” to “incredibly insightful video journalism” is one of the funniest but also most impressive things I’ve ever seen
As someone who got called a “p*ssy-*ss b*tch that doesn’t know anything about making money” by their coworker for warning them about the dangers of sports betting, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one bothered by how accessible gambling has become, especially to young people.
Let's be honest, if they were really making any money off of it they wouldn't feel the need to insult you about it- they're more than likely bitter that you were smart enough to avoid the pitfall that they weren't and are too far in denial to blame themselves
In psychology, there are 4 reinforcement strategies to encourage a certain behavior: fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable ratio, and variable interval. Gambling follows the best one, which is variable ratio (i.e. reinforcement occurs after a varying number of responses). Ironically, getting paid from working at a job follows the worst reinforcement strategy, which is fixed interval (i.e. reinforcement occurs after a fixed period of time)
congrats! I'm just a stranger on the internet but yeah, sports betting and gambling in general look so lame and unattractive to me. It's worse than someone spending way too much time yelling at their computer when playing LoL
@@sapphireblue4031 LoL is a lifestyle. It's not just a game it's another reality. I foam at the mouth every time I see a positive K/D and Will sink tens of hours in without sleep just to feel something (I've never actually touched LoL.....)
As someone who was born and lives in Las Vegas, I do not gamble or drink. My father, who was a casino manager, always told me "This town wasn't built on the backs of winners."
I live up near Reno and I’m the same way. It’s even crazier that our state’s economy is based around gaming revenue so our entire state is literally built on people losing money.
I wasn't born here but my dad moved me here. Honestly haven't gambled a day in my life, it's just not appealing to me. I'd like to keep my money, thanks.
Genuinely the most important video you've put out. My brother has hit rock bottom. He is on the brink of losing his child, his job and his family due to a gambling addiction. People need to be aware of what this industry really is.
@@quiet451 people know what the industry is and plenty of people freely choose to be involved. You can’t blame a lack of awareness for a lack of self control. I take losses and not important but wins are fun. That’s human nature. It has nothing to do with the gambling companies. No promotion made me that way. What exactly is the industry doing to cause problem gambling? To me they just facilitate gambling
I'm so sorry, this is exactly why this sort of advertising is so disgusting it's affecting real people with real lives just trying to get through thier day, I really hope your brother is able to get better
I'm sorry for what you are going through. My mom has always had trouble with gambling. She was on the online gambling train back when you had to use crypto and get a VPN to pretend you were off shore. It can be life altering.
unironically i think it's great drew is talking about this. i'm a sports fan and it's insane how in a few short years how crazy online gambling has gotten and how normalized it's become
as a non sports fan but someone who happens to have these apps advertised to them, i’m also glad. i hate these apps, they shouldn’t be allowed to advertise wherever
Another thing I noticed about the sports betting is that it’s making ppl treat athletes even worse. Like I’ve seen some truly disgusting comments about athletes because they didn’t fulfill someone’s dumb parlay
@@bofthesea4730 ooooh gurlll im petty enough that if i were that athlete id be purposely fucking up people's parlays like fuck em gambling execs and fuck yall for attacking and harassing me cuz you lost money you didnt even have
I'm part of the patreon community for one of the few sports podcasts out there that doesn't take gambling sponsorships (or any sponsors, for that matter), and as you might imagine the hosts and the community are generally against sports betting, and especially against how much sports betting has taken over the way we watch and interact with sports. I've said before, and I'll say it again here, that sports betting is so important to the bottom lines of every league that I don't think that meaningful change will happen to restrict the most addictive aspects of sports betting (like parlay bets and bonus bets) until an enraged gambling addict physically harms an athlete or an athlete's loved one(s) because of a lost bet. That or maybe a thrown championship like the 1919 Black Sox scandal, which nearly killed MLB. I hate to be so cynical, but this country has not given me any hope that the well-being of people will be prioritized over profit without the spilled blood of the working class. Also I don't mean to get off-topic but 99% of professional athletes have more in common with the working man than they do with the billionaires they work for. The ability for baseball players to choose who they work for has existed for only a little over 50 years, and even then free agency as we know it today has only existed in the past few decades. Google Flood v. Kuhn. Support players' unions and fuck the owners.
Fr the amount of times i see someone blaming an athlete for losing them money. It's absolutely a method of shifting the blame. "Well it's obviously lebron james' fault that I lost money. I know basketball and he usually scores more than that so it's his fault and not mine that I lost money"
I am an addict. A heroin and meth addict. I have been addicted to any good feeling I’ve ever had. I’m coming up on 5 years clean in December. This fact along with seeing my dad lose all his retirement money means I know to stay far away from gambling. It is interesting to see how some forms of the same disease (addiction) are acceptable and some are not in society. No judgement, obviously, it’s just fascinating to watch. Watching that shirtless man’s lifeless eyes as he is betting resonated with me. Drew’s empathy is not lost on me. Just one more hit and I’ll stop. Just one more jackpot and I’ll stop. Well, maybe one more because I’m dopesick. Well, maybe one more because I’m in debt and need to get it back. It is so similar and it ws heartbreaking to watch that man.
In the UK we have so many 'bingo' gambling sites. They advertise constantly. I keep telling RUclips I don't want these ads but even when I turn off gambling ads I still get them. Honestly it's just non-stop and they're also the worst, most aggressively tacky, loud, annoying and looooonnng ads.
i always think these are so insidious! they’re treated like this harmless, cutesy form of gaming, when in reality it’s just as much gambling as spinning slots. and they’re so inescapable! so many of our major TV programmes are sponsored by bingo websites, that will play their advert 4-5 times per hour. you can very easily see 20+ bingo adverts in one evening of watching UK television.
in australia, after a gambling ad is shown, they are legally obligated to include a message at the end (both written AND spoken) with something like “chances are, you’ll lose” or “think of all the things you could be buying instead”
Just in case anyone thinks that Australia is better with its handling of gambling. When people here whistleblower the corruption and scumminess in the gambling industry here, they just harassed, sent to court and threatened with jail time
@emmadenton1826 its only been put into effect as of late last year, but they also thankfully got rid of the ads appearing during daytime tv spots, they were so horribly common 😭 90% of ads on tv were gambling ads during the day
I’m reminded of someone my age(mid twenties) I saw say “I never got to vape when I was younger so I feel like I missed out on some of my youth.” I was like… What. I felt like I had been sent back in time.
Don't forget the rebranding of marijuana as a miracle medicine, instead of a drug. It's not as harmful as we used to believe, but it is absolutely still a drug.
tobacco companies were forced to run ads about the dnagers of smoking cigarettes and the like, so they pivoted. once vapes and the like get the same treatment, they'll pivot again. it's horrific.
@@Slimecantdefeatme Crazy how much influence advertising and social pressure has on us, where people think you need to inhale fruit flavored smoke to enjoy their youth. And I say this as someone in their 20s
This video is truly perfect. I've seen people close to me develop gambling addictions after watching streamers promote it. The phrase "selling your soul" is often misinterpreted as literal, but in this context, it serves as a powerful metaphor. When celebrities or streamers accept deals from online or traditional casinos, they profit directly from their audience's losses. While some see it as these influencers "securing the bag," the reality is that they have sold their soul for personal gain. I believe this isn't just a looming crisis for the United States but a global gambling epidemic in the making.
I love that Drew Gooden is unafraid to say “suicide” or “fuck”. Genuinely it’s so refreshing to see someone stare down RUclips censors and ignore them. I’m so sick of hearing “unalive”, thank you Drew for not using newspeak
I'm a graphic designer that has been struggling to find a job for the past couple months and there's been a CRAZY rise in job offers for designers from betting and e gambling companies. Nothing like I'd seen in the past. The current job market is insane and I've reached the point of desperation so I started applying to these jobs even though i think it's absolutely immoral. I've managed to get to the last stage interview with one of these and they ended up rejecting me last minute. At first I was disappointed but after a while I realized I dodged a bullet. Just doing the test assignment made me feel DEAD inside. I can't imagine waking up every day and be like "yay, another 8 hours of creating flashy ads to make gambling addicts go into even more debt and make their families' lives a nightmare!!"
I’m in the exact same boat! I’m not sure what’s more sinister- when the design job opening is way above market rate to the point it’s clearly too good to be true, or pennies and there’s still at least dozens of applicants. Inside you there are two online-gambling wolves
That "test assignment" isn't a test. They've taken your work and will use all or some of it for their marketing. They've sadly just used you for free labor.
Future designer (hopefully) and that's gotta b a tough choice like jus bite the bullet and take the job u need or stick to your morals, glad u dodged the bullet, I hope u found an amazing job u love or at least one that doesn't make u feel bad about doing it
Notably there's also been a rise in gacha games, like a lot. And they're not even just boring old gacha games, they're sometimes really good and have other fun mechanics or good stories
Real talk, I got laid off over a year ago and since have been playing the lottery and making some bets here and there while trying to find a job and make ends meet, and It feels like so little but I also win a couple dollars sometimes. It makes me feel like if I just win big I can make up for all the losses and I'll be good. I didn't know what I was expecting coming into watching this video but it fr opened my eyes like wtf am I doing wasting money on this stuff. I hope it helps other people realize too. Real talk thanks for this Drew. Glad I been watching you for years genuinely.
I have an older brother who is CONSTANTLY on his phone playing virtual slots. I’m not exaggerating when I say *_literally_* every time we have a conversation he’s subconsciously tapping Spin on his phone. It’s almost creepy.
I was listening to a podcast and had two ads in a row: one for online sports betting, followed immediately by a request for donations from my local Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. It was truly dystopian.
It's pretty disheartening that the companies actively harming people with addiction have orders of magnitude more money than the agencies trying to help
I was looking for this comment-when the guy moved his head, you could see how many times he has punched a hole through the drywall. That is very concerning to me because not only has this guy lost a shit ton of money, but he’s got such anger issues that he’s destroying his own home, whether he owns or rent it. BTW, I have never understood punching holes in your walls that you ultimately will have to fix or pay to have fixed. It’s like punching yourself in the face repeatedly. So sad and childish.
@kat.w.RBF444 I don't get it either, plus it hurts. When I was angry as a kid and I needed to let out anger, my mom would hold up a pillow for me to punch instead. As much as I think non-violent outlets are better, if you need to hit something, at least hit something soft
if you want a dystopic look at it, look at the sheer amount of gambling ads in Australia. they're unblockable, unskippable, loud as hell, and up until recently, _never_ had to say 'gamble responsibly'; and once they had to, half of them tacked it on sarcastically or whispered it in a bitcrushed second.
I don't even make bets with my friends for trivial things like ''if you lose, you pay me $2'', because I know that the possibility of me winning is slim to none. I can't imagine trying to gamble with hundreds or thousands of dollars when it's almost obvious these companies don't really want you to win anything.
14:04 isn’t this like Jack Daniel’s saying “no there’s no alcoholics-they’re all addicted to Coca Cola. It just happens that they’re adding our product to it”
That dude looks so incredibly sleazy too. The way he lies through his (probably fake) teeth with a smile on his face about something he knows is blatantly untrue is absolutely sickening.
That's actually a really good comparison, because yes, people do get addicted to coca cola (or sugar generally), just like people do get addicted to phones. Only that alcohol and gambling are in a completely different league in terms of the harm they cause. My dad was addicted to coca cola for a lot of his life. As a young man he and his friend would be at a bar and both just drink and drink instead of eating anything for dinner - coke for him, and alcohol for his friend. They each had their addiction. My dad is now fat. He's happily married for decades, has two kids, a great job, runs a pub quiz and sings in a choir. A good life, but yeah, he is fat. All that sugar had consequences in the end. His friend died thirty years ago. Alcohol poisoning.
I’ve been trying to switch to just drinking plain water. This comment triggers a serious craving. I’m genuinely feeling the urge to go buy some Diet Coke.
On a genuine note I love that recently you've been doing these funny more informative videos. It highlights issues and explains the reasons for it, what could be done, if there is nothing just mercilessly mock it. Okay it is more about the catharsis of the funny man saying things I agree with, but who cares I like it.
I personally hate it cuz I just have this image of drew being the guy who's funny, and for me these issue videos are just depressing. Granted he can't stay on the same topic forever but I hope he doesn't switch over to this style completely
I’m 18 years old and one of my last classes in high school essentially turned into an anti gambling PSA in real time. I watched as my friends started sports betting, setting up parlays that seemed so easy to hit, but always just one thing would seem to go wrong. Maybe a great player would get benched in the last few minutes of a game, maybe someone would miss an open layup and they’d miss by one point. They watched as seemingly everyone around them, from managers to siblings to other friends started to win big money. They’d argue it wasn’t gambling because there was a strategy to it, they’d set limits for when and how much they’d bet and then break those limits. They literally used the actual textbook gambler’s fallacy to explain their bets. And eventually they had to quit cold turkey because they had lost so much money, without cashing out anything. Thank you for making this video, people really need help.
I had a similar experience as well, some guys were betting on horse racing in the middle of one of my last math classes. Absolutely insane, I don't think they lost money but there's a time and a place
Echoing what others have said already, I love how your content has become so insightful and educational! Your dry sense of humor also really makes it compelling to watch. Good work! Not relevant to sports betting, but recently I had my boss casually mention how his phone is full of pachinko pictures. He's a married man with child. Can't imagine thinking gambling at that age is prudent or worth it.
I am a high school teacher in Australia, and we have had to have whole year level interventions to address the crippling gambling epidemic that is spreading through our schools. It’s absolutely shocking to hear how causally some students speak about their wins and losses in class, some as young as 14!
kind of wondered how indoctrinated the younger generation must be from all of the gambling content that is pushed onto them these days.. oh man, it sounds worse than i thought tbh!
@@MokuTom how these kids are probably watching people like xqc who are gambling addicts, and you know kids, they see some trashy internet person do a thing, and now they want to do it
@@stackhat8624 The gambling lobbying is so bad that they (casinos and such) are effectively an extra branch of government down here, so things are definitely not getting better. Best case, people get burned when they are young and turn away from it, but gambling wouldn't be a vice if it was so easy to wash your hands of it.
@@MokuTom Who wouldve thought that subjecting young minds to the absolute shitshow that is lootboxes in videogames and gambling ads seemingly pumped into everything might have bad consequences for their minds?
As an Australian, where our sports betting is out of control and recent government attempts (that are majorly publicly popular) failed because of gambling companies lobbying and threatening our media, buckle up. You're in for a ride that will leave ordinary people (mainly men) homeless, unable to feed themselves or their families, and massively in debt and addicted. I'm glad Drew is talking about this. Hopefully at least one or two people who watch this will re-evaluate their gambling.
Islam bans it outright, you can’t even gamble a little tiny bit because that just leaves a little hole that will eventually break open. Same with drugs. It’s pretty sad to see that society is so fucked up now that kids don’t even have dads to teach the dangers of such things.
The Liberals are owned by gambling companies and it's a vicious circle. Gambling companies pay billions for them to get in, then when the Liberals are in they make laws that give the companies even more money. Any opposition is stomped out with endless waves of money and propaganda and the news is owned by billionares who want all this to continue. The media doesn't need to be intimated when Murdoch owns then all. Money is poured into the Liberals to get in and people are too stupid to look into them even slightly.
@@abdullahnadeem1823 why would dads teach the dangers of these things? they're the ones leaving their families and even driving them into debt with the exact opposite of what they're "supposed" to be doing. don't know why you'd still expect fathers to do such a thing
I was sitting here thinking how the yanks get to feel how it is to be bombarded by betting ads all day, lol. It's all over our public buses, our trains, the government even let them project a sports betting ad on the bloody Opera House. Absolutely no shame in this country.
In Spain the ads went so crazy the government forbade them during daylight hours. This added to the fact that casinos and betting places were being strategically built near schools so teens could go there even if it's illegal (Spain is very walkable and people usually walk to high school), created a HUGE problem here.
I’ll add that Ontario (Canada) where I’m from passed a ban on athletes or celebs promoting gambling in ads! They can still be in gambling ads, but only for promoting safe gambling practices It’s a step at least 🫠
True, when I was in high school (I'm talking like almost 10 years ago) I had classmates that regularly talked about betting on futbol matches. And there's betting places everywhere. It feels like they wete taking advantage of the 2008 economic crisis and the youth unemployment numbers
I‘m from germany and this is a huge problem here too. In high school a bunch of people in my year were at least a little (if there is such a thing) addicted to gambling but it was always kind of treated like a joke. And I think in part this is due to the fact that they were all boys/men. I feel like this is a huge problem for young men especially because to admit they are addicted is to admit some kind of failure (in their eyes at least) which might be perceived as weak by society/the people around them. This feels like an important video and to anyone struggling: the greatest strength is in stopping and you are not weak for „falling for“ this stuff. It‘s designed to trap you and you are worth getting help.
Jesus, that slot spinner’s Kick stream was genuinely disturbing. It’s so disconcerting and heartbreaking to see someone’s actual addiction play out in real time. Even if he is gambling money given to him by these platforms, I truly hope that man gets help. If not, this “problem gambling” will infect every part of his life until there’s nothing left.
its not as disturbing as it seems though since like he said he can just make it all back with his guy Howie; the real danger is people who aren't streamers
@@member93His partnership will end eventually and then he will lose everything he has ever made from them within a few months. The richer the person the less concern they have with spending it.
the bit about getting bombarded with your trigger every time you turn on the tv hits me so hard u__u; i don't have a gambling addiction myself but ive struggled with eating disorders for over a decade, and its SO difficult to recover when every. other. ad. is for a diet pill or liposuction. those kinds of ads are so harmful in so many ways, man...
man youre exactly right, and i really hope recovery is going well for you. trying to recover from an ED can feel like hell sometimes, it is NOT for the weak
hey, best of luck with your recovery - personally, i've struggled with both gambling & disordered eating, and one of the hardest parts abt the eating stuff is that the societal pressure to keep it up runs further and wider, even into your peers subtly. any effort to recover is fucking awesomely cool and i'm rootin for you so hard rn. tv can't be helped, but never feel bad for utilising social media's block/mute functions to the fullest! :D
It gets so much worse around the end of year holidays too. My workplace plays FM radio over the intercom which means hearing weight loss ads multiple times per day. Can't tune it out with earphones or ear plugs because I have to be able to listen for chatter on our handheld radios at all times.
22:27 This is valuable commentary. The truth is that these repeated pushes for on line gambling apps are not all sports related. I never watch anything related to sports and still I am subjected to a constant flow of these extra-pushy ads for casino apps and other casino junk. There is one with some has-been actor playing a piano in a veterinarian clinic. He wears a solid gold suit ..like we are supposed to associate these apps with "solid gold". He goes on about how if you are sitting there waiting for your doggee and you are worried, you should relax with a gambling app. There is another one with some mostly forgotten African American celebrity playing a piano. These pop up about 4 times in an hour. Whoever " they " is they want everyone to gamble.
One thing that he doesn't mention, but is definitely under the same umbrella - gacha games. And I mention this as a gacha player myself. While there are a few of us who don't focus on the gacha mechanics, or are careful about if/when we want to "pull" or gamble for a character/weapon/resource/what have you, so many more are spending outright to gamble for it all. I have seen people spend the equivalent of a car payment, or a house down payment, to gamble for maxed-out characters, etc. And worse is that unlike sports betting or traditional casinos - there's no age gate. Kids can and have fallen prey to the gacha without having it explained to them. This stuff needs regulation and monitoring.
I'd 100% appreciate a sequel that touches on gacha games. I'm active in anime/video game fandom spheres online, so I've absorbed surface level knowledge about Mihoyo games like Genshin Impact. I've started to loathe how much they've exploded in popularity, especially because some fans get weird real fast when you express concern over predatory mechanics or unhealthy behavior. Nothing wrong with playing responsibly, but too many people think that "let people enjoy things" is an appropriate response to legitimate concerns about teenagers developing gambling addictions.
Avid Genshin player here. I love the game but there is no denying that the wishing system is a dangerous tool. I’ve never spent a single cent on the game and I watch my in game currency like a hawk, but there is a concerningly large amount of people on the game that are addicted. Totally with you on this one
Not just gacha games, also coming from someone who plays gacha (pretty much only Arknights though). You need to look broader than just Gacha games, fifa having their pack system, lootboxes with random drops in diablo immortal and numerous other games. It’s not just gacha games, but there are so many games out there that offer an alternative to real gambling, it’s concerning. The hard thing with gacha games is that, if you have good self-control, like most people. There is no problem, i personally spend very little each month, and i just save my resources so i can get the character i want once. The problem is that companies like Hoyo and now Kurogames too are adding more incentive to go in deeper, by adding things like weapons, and unique passives locked behind duplicated further encouraging to gamble on, instead of just being done with one character. And again, this isn’t a problem for people with good self-control, but for those who don’t it will quickly spiral out of control if you get your hands on that in game purchase shop, i definitely feel like there should be some sort of brake on that as it can be dangerous for vulnerable people and children who haven’t been educated properly about the stupdity of gambling.
You dont even have to go as far as Gacha games. Any game that contains lootboxes and microtransactions works with the same basic principles as those casinos. And the fact that so so many games that are accesible to anyone (looking at fortnite for example) actively push these mechanics onto kids is so depressing and should be illegal. If your game has any mechanic that involves spending real money on chance based loot - make it 18+ and thats that
I work in gaming protection and I'm so happy to see someone in your position shine a light on this. The second the supreme Court passed that legislation I knew how bad things were gonna get.
Every time Drew posts a serious cultural critique video like this one I feel like it needs to blow the hell up. Everything he says is so brilliantly spot on and people legit need to hear it, improving people's general awareness of sleazy stuff like this on a massive scale is pretty much the only way we can really combat it. Please keep up the great work.
And he was really nuanced too. Personally I would not shed a tear if gambling was illegal everywhere, but people would _still_ gamble. It's like how alcohol poisoning was worse during prohibition because there was less regulation making drinking safer. Let people gamble (in some select places) but regulate it far more than it is now.
@@WasatchWindSure people would still gamble, but it'd be like small scale underground bars and inaccessible for most non risk taking people, whereas now it's a damn app you can download on your phone
There's a quote from Jimquisition that's only gotten more and more real every year, and I feel it applies to these streamers too. "CEOs don't want lots of money, they want ALL of the money."
My dad has gotten into sports betting and it's near crippling. There's been times our water and power went out because he spent the bill money on it, and now we're constantly short on food, too, since he's the breadwinner of the household. The sad part is he doesn't even see how it's hurting his family.
Gosh that must be so upsetting to go through :( I hope you can either talk some sense into him or you can find another way to make money, I truly wish you the best!🥹
i’m so sorry. my dad throws his hat in the ring once in awhile, 5 or 10 bucks for a bet, and he realized he’s bad at it and that he’s starting to like it. after that he had to stop. i’m sorry your father is caught in this addiction. i’m hoping he’s able to make it out of this❤️
This is so awful to read. I hope your dad is able to get the help he needs. If food is getting scarce, don't be afraid to look into resource programs at your school, local churches, or community groups. Addictions are terrible but there's absolutely no shame in accepting a helping hand. We all need to eat and we all need help sometimes.
One additional thing is that seeing people lose everything doesn't even necessarily serve to deter people from partaking, because people watching it are prone to think "well *i* wouldn't be that 'stupid', *i* would DEFINITELY stop while I was ahead", and so they're hooked even if they agree that it's an awful thing happening right in front of them.
I went to Vegas once with some friends and didn't realize til we got there that all of us hated gambling. We climbed boulders in Red Rock Canyon, went to the Valley of Fire, saw the Hoover dam, and finally got a bottle of alcohol and played poker...in our hotel room with no money betting. It was probably the best time I've had there.
For real. Honestly, the gambling in Vegas seems like the most boring part for me (as someone who has never been). Poker is the only game which seems remotely engaging (to a much lesser extent blackjack). Why would I travel all the way to Vegas to play slots or roulette? How is that fun? I genuinely don't understand the appeal. There's so many other things in & around Vegas to do aside from what it's most known for.
@@spencerlively3049 It is! Every hotel on the strip has something cool about it that has nothing to do with gambling. On previous trips I just walked around and took photos. I like the aquarium and the free water jet show.
The thing that really pisses me off is the obvious marketing to children who aren’t old enough to gamble yet, priming them to start as soon as they turn 18. I keep seeing ads for Betr starring Jake Paul whose audience is almost exclusively middle schoolers. Jake Paul has no marketing value for adults. The only reason to use him in ads for gambling services is to essentially groom children into it so that the second they legally can start using these apps they will.
That's so messed up 😢 like imagine some company making a paw patrol vape that's essentially what they are doing and yet perfectly allowed it's so sad tbh
honestly? there's the promotion of a gambling platform, and nestled within, the promotion of gambling as an activity. the platforms MIGHT try their best to keep kids out, but any customers the casinos lose are just getting lured in by video game microtransactions instead. its not even 'i cant wait to gamble' its 'i cant wait to gamble for real'
This is just more reason for why children just should not have access to internet capable devices - though of course you slowly with guidance give them more autonomy. It causes so much harm in so many ways. For little kids it messes up crucial development they need, go a bit older and it can just be harmful compulsive internet use, go a bit older to teens and they can start finding their way into bad stuff like gambling and porn. So many young lives are ruined by despicable shady adults making billions in secret dark corners, hoping they can lure kids in who don't know any better.
this is the video essay we needed. normal gambling is one thing, but online gambling (and the hidden kinds too) are demolishing people's lives and it's horrific. it's unbelievable that states keep passing laws to make it easier, but even here in the UK where I'm living it's unavoidable.
I think the UK might be worse than most places. I know every time a link is shared with me for help with gambling it’s a UK website… Must be over run if those are the most readily available websites.
Münecat also has a really good video essay about this! It's called "the messed up politics behind those gambling streams" and she talks about similar things to drew in this video and goes more in depth about stuff like how they get about regulations
Thank you, Drew. My beautiful ex boyfriend lost over 10k in one season. When I tried to gently inquire and allow perspective, he shut down. We eventually parted because it scared me. I still check in on him. He says sad is his baseline. Sports were one of the only things he loved to play and watch. Now, I just try to go shoot hoops with him, but even that reminds him of what he can’t have. I hope this message coming from you helps him know it’s bigger than him.
hope he gets his joy for life back, and that you're doing well too 🙏 growth is always possible; even a whole bigazz tree can spring up from ashes and dust after a forestfire🌱
this doesn't even touch on gacha games, which are also so enticing because a lot of them are technically free-to-play! but they drop limited skins, limited characters, limited resources, and if you just spend $5, $20, $100, $1000, these things could be yours! right now! and you don't want to miss out, do you? these items may never be available again.... even with "guaranteed" pulls, you have to spend a certain amount of resources before you hit that guarantee threshold which really pulls at the "eh, I just need 10 more pulls, I can spend $20 this once" and then all those tiny transactions snowball so quickly!! it's very scary!!
And with gacha games there's usually enough content in them that they'd actually be worth buying upfront for a normal price, but instead they manipulate you because they want more.
I already made a comment about this, but I spent over $600 on Genshin impact before I realized I had a gambling problem. It wasn’t all at once, it was in $15-$20 stints. You’re so correct that it seems so small, but then you wake up when someone casually asks you how much you’ve spent on Genshin. It’s very embarrassing.
And they make stupid amounts of money. China tried to regulate it and their biggest companies stock nose-dived so hard they immediately back pedaled. These things need to be dealt with before they are too big to fail.
yeah, I was wasting like 20~60/mo on this kpop game with card collecting gatcha mechanics for several months last year which isn't insane but it was still wayyy too much for what it was - thankfully I got lazy about it for awhile and missed the updates for long enough that it felt like it would be a pain to go back. I'm so glad because I don't need that money sink on photocards that aren't even REAL like it was way too easy to spend x_x there was someone I followed on Twitter who gets every special item for her fave and I shudder to imagine how much she is spending 😭😭 Hell even Pocket Camp's gatcha mechanic was too easy to waste money on! I'm trying to just avoid any of those games now.
Also college athletes are being bullied so much more since it’s legal to bet on college sports. College athletes are already more depressed than typical college students and now they are being bullied by people who lost money on their games. These are 18 year olds. They can’t handle this the way adults can.
actually so thankful you put this out I'm only 19 and without this no joke i was gonna start when i had a 'big girl job" out of curiosity and now I'm NEVER GONNA TOUCH IT
Same guy literally beat his ex girlfriend up on stream. But he gets a sympathetic look from Drew while xQc, who admitted gambling was affecting his mental health and responded with, “I wish I could,” after being told to kill himself on stream last year gets laughed at. xQc’s uncle died from suicide related to gambling addiction. It runs in his family. But nope! We saved all the nuance for the other guy. Definitely a fair and balanced representation 😂
@@wonkyelsa Where does that make it okay to laugh at and mock someone who is clearly addicted and who might’ve been suicidal when his uncle committed suicide for exactly that reason? Because he taught himself English? Because he has two fluency disorders: a severe stutter with secondary behaviors and cluttering speech? Gambling on stream means you deserve xenophobia and ableist jokes? Would racism against Kai Cenat be justified? He promotes gambling too and even has a promotional code which gives him a percentage directly from his fan’s gambling losses. Mizkif has a similar deal with DraftKings. Promo code and all. Fan’s gambling losses -> Kai and Mizzy Wizzy’s pockets. xQc turned down hundreds of millions of dollars because he thought codes were unethical. One gets extreme hate and zero nuance, the others? Meh. Who cares? How could Drew conveniently just “forget” about Kai Cenat (the biggest streamer on Twitch right now) literally promoting his code during his subathon while keeping Adin Ross in the thumbnail when Adin quit gambling a while ago and might be leaving Kick soon? It doesn’t make any sense. Unless… There’s bias?
gambling is by far one of the hardest addictions to deal with since it's purely mental. My mother was unfortunately one that succumb to the disease and passed away a few years ago via suicide. I really believe gambling ads should be regulated more than just "play responsibly".
That doesn't actually make sense, how would it be a harder addiction because it's purely mental? All addictions are mental to a degree. Addiction is an obsessive compulsive disorder. Wouldn't drugs actually be a harder addiction because it's mental and physical?
@@SicilianAmericanDreamsi don’t know if any addiction is the “hardest” but i think they mean it’s merely mental because there’s no physiological change because of the gambling, whereas things like alcohol and drugs can numb or even excite the body. but with the gambling there’s no fear of OD’ing and dying so people can sort of wave away the affects of it because they assume they can win it all back if they keep going.
@@comradepeggyhill9085 Plus you're not usually putting yourself in a dangerous situation to gamble, especially online. Gambling is even more costly than normal addictions IMO, because it doesn't require you to get high or endanger your life, you can just continue to gamble while seeming to function normally.
genuinely i think this is the most impactful video youve made yet. not to minimize the good things that came from past videos- comedy can be life changing for people and offer such relief. but wow reading these comments...these arent the experiences you hear about and it is so deeply upsetting. ive read a lot of comments from people who decided tp quit because of this video. legitamitely this video alone has almost definitely saved multiple lives and will continue to do so. im really glad this video already has over a million views in 12 hours and i hope it continues to grow.
I'm so happy we're finally having this conversation. My mom has been struggling with her gambling addiction since 2018 and we've lost so much money. And it's the fact that they'll send her emails and junk mail and now there's slot apps I just get so worried. Because she's been doing so much better. I just don't want her to lose all her progress because all these gambling apps are coming out now.
I just realized I’ve lost $500 sports gambling over the last few weeks and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve been making about 4-5 $10 bets Luckily I won $300 one week and I won $80 another so my loses only ended up being about $120 but thank you for this wake up call Drew. I was so casually losing money I didn’t even realize it and it was starting to get out of hand
Damn, it's scary to see how this kind of habit can sneak up on you. I'm so grateful that you had this realization before the addiction sucked you in. Losing $500 in a few weeks without hardly noticing is chilling. 😨
320$ for one spin and losing 1mio$???? I would fcking lose my shit if i would spent 320$ for one fuxking spin....Even 5$ is too much, could get food for it instead 😂
Its insane to me that drew gooden went from making prostate exam jokes on vine to creating incredibly revealing commentaries on insane modern problems in a way thats entertaining and funny. Fuck I love this guy
I wrote my college thesis about the impact of micro transactions in games like madden on children, and how it creates gambling addicts using the base of ripping a pack. It’s gambling at its most basic form. And now there are ads for REAL gambling in those games, let alone the sports themselves. As someone that was in this situation until he was broke it’s straight up disgusting to see these companies target college age kids so strongly. It’s sad.
Let’s not forget the commercialisation of collectibles. I play the pokemon trading card game and it sucks that scalpers have bought out entire stores of their cards just so they can increase in value. There are Reddits dedicated to documenting the values of cards and celebrating people who find chase cards, and it’s so depressing.
Thanks for making this video! Genuinely stuff like this does not get talked about. Also it’s so cool reading everyone’s comments and their experiences. I legit come from gambling addicts. My great grandpa on my dad’s side was addicted to betting on horse races. He’d come home so excited about winning five dollars even though he spent a hundred. My grandpa on my mom’s side literally had to change his name to hide from the police and the mafia due to his illegal bookkeeping and gambling. This ruins lives. It’s horrible how these companies are able to package life long addictions into pretty packages and advertise it to young people. I’d say smoking/vaping and alcohol easily falls into the same category.
I live in Argentina. My sister is a teacher. Kids are gambling in class and are in absolute DENIAL that they have an addiction. Definitely doesn't help that their favorite streamers and atheletes are sponsored by gambling sites, and also the fact that at least in my country, the previous gens used physical money and you were able to see how money disappeared from your hand. Kids nowadays don't use physical money and I definitely believe they don't fully grasp the concept of losing it
I remember one former coc*ine addict who said he'd never seen people lose everything they had because they did a single line, but he had seen gambling addicts lose everything they had in 5 minutes. It's a horrible addiction and so overlooked because the "physical" effects are not obvious like with drugs or alcohol
I live in Argentina too, I've not personally seen anyone gamble in sports, except for the one time me and a friend gambled a single coin in a sports game (I won), but I've seen it in the news, it's terrible. That drug addict is absolutely right, gambling is one of the most dangerous addictions out there.
As someone who works in a casino, i genuinely believe gambling should be illegal. at the LEAST, advertising it should be. I've seen plenty working there and I can't view sports gambling as anything other than extremely harmful and embarrassing.
I worked a casino and the vast, vast majority are just people going out for a night with their friends, paying money to have a good night and not expecting to win. Its like banning alcohol because of alcoholics.
@@andrewniconand even then, alcohol is a tangible substance you can ban. You could bet on an offshore app stupid easy before it technically became legal in many states. In a pre internet age, it was a hell of a lot easier to ban. As long as other counties have other laws, it's nearly impossible now.
Where I've grown up in Australia sportbetting was really normalized up until recently when people began to realize how it was supercharging gambling addictions. When i was in school we would do footy tipping as a class activity where every student would predict the outcome of every australian football league match. By the time i was 16 many of my friends were avid gamblers, in Australia reportedly 1 in 5 teenagers has admitted to sports betting, and we were all still underage. Now I'm heading into my early 20s and I already have friends that spend every night at the pokies or only call me up to borrow money. Gambling is a huge problem and the way it is advertised as a quick, feel good way to make money makes me furious.
Lol we have company-hosted gambling events for the Melbourne cup, and other events. Catered food and everything just to bring betting into the workplace. It's kind of insane.
Sounds like it sucks big time man. Unfortunate to see this happening to our society, people literally become homeless, lose families and their lives because of this cancer
@@DWgic Except betting on the Melbourne Cup has been a tradition for at least 100 years. Until the last 40 or so years for the vast majority of Australians the only time in their lives the only time they made a bet was on the Melbourne Cup. As much as I hate horse racing its not a major factor in the modern problem of gambling. Not to say it isn't a problem but the gambling apps, pokies everywhere and the explosion of casinos in every major city has contributed more.
omg THANK YOU for talking about this. i feel like i'm going crazy watching the people i love on RUclips promoting this shit. the gambling industry is so corrupt and fucked up and it makes me so sad how little people seem to care. it's like the opioid epidemic in that they KNOW the addiction is there and that they're fucking lives up, but they're raking it in so they turn a blind eye. makes me so so sad. thanks drew.
Out of curiosity, which RUclipsrs have you seen promoting these apps? I've seen a lot of ads for gambling apps, but not sponsorships paid directly to the creators.
@@Savanna-e9m Years back PhillyD did Draftkings. Which always confused me because he has done stories on sports betting ruining lives. Maybe the irony was too much for him after a while
I can't believe he did that 😭 I almost died laughing and was even better because my Dad just happened to walk by and heard that so the look on his face was PRICELESS 😂😂😂
I'm from the UK, gambling addiction is way more widespread than you'd think, but there's only one dedicated gambling addiction rehab centre in the country. It's the addiction epidemic that no one really talks about. I get the argument of personal responsibility, but there's a fine line between letting people make their own decisions and letting people get exploited due to an addiction. The money-centric and individualistic nature of American society makes it the perfect market for exploitative companies to make money at YOUR expense. The best way to gamble responsibly is to not gamble.
Exactly-- and it's the American dream to blame "personal responsibility" (or lack thereof) but it's a failure of society, not individuals, when it is so easy to exploit THAT many people.
It is the same here in Australia, I think we sure the same "culture" around gambling as people need to "have a punt" while watching the footy or cricket.
i was literally SEARCHING for this comment like betting is so ingrained in our culture imo like literally sky sports hosts are the ones in the ads theres bookies always at walking distance like ive never thought abt it twice. Along with like at least two fruity machines in every pub bc they’re praying on drunk ppl
I am 18 years old, and I have a gambling addiction. I have an addiction to spending egregious amounts of money on gacha games, and while it isn't quite the same as slot machines or sports betting, it is almost equally as terrible in my opinion. It sucks that even though I understand that i need to stop and save my money, the irrational part of my brain (the dopamine rush-addicted part) sometimes takes over and I have to watch as I throw my college savings into the garbage, unable to stop myself. I have been making some progress recently, but I am worried that the addiction will start up again full force when I least expect it due to the constant advertising of these apps😭 it truly is an illness and it sucks that gambling is perpetuated as a "silly game" when it can be so, so devastating to people's lives. Thank you for talking about this
I was 17 when Mine started on cs cases years ago bro. I never knew I was hooked after pulling a gut knife worth around $200 (still $200 these days) but after watching this video, I know that’s where It started If you’re not going to stop immediately at this moment, I’d consider setting limits on everything that you can. Maybe stop the gatchas now tho because that hook is something I never got
I am an addict and have attended support groups for some of my afflictions. I’ve been addicted to gambling at points and lost a heck of a lot of money on it, and at one support group someone shared the crux of why a gambling addiction is worse to them than drugs, alcohol etc. they shared that every affliction they’ve experienced with their addictions have led them to breaking point and sometimes over it, but through all the trouble and struggles, gambling is the only one that ever made them feel clever. It’s an addiction that can give the person, within a real, sober mind, reason and understanding, and within the addiction the same exact feeling. It’s a dangerous addiction and luckily within the UK things are beginning to move to help people that are struggling and take away the power from casinos and online betting companies. In the end and as always, stay strong if you also struggle from this affliction✊
My mum's friend's 16yo son bet on soccer with her money and once won 3k zł. Instead of being worried about him possibly being addicted to gambling (which - let's be honest - he is at this point and he lost money before) at such a young age, she was "proud". It made both me and my mum feel kinda sick about all of this. Not only is he still a teenager and it's illegal for him to even play, but he's got ADHD, so he's more likely to get addicted. It sucks.
I'm so glad you made this video- I thought I've just been going insane with the amount of gambling ads I get while I have Spotify playing in the background. It all just gives me such a gross feeling. If I hear Ryan Seacrest say "I definitely play Chumba Casino and you guys should too" one more time, I might just make a pact with an Eldritch being to end the world.
Spotify ads for gambling are particularly revolting to me as I'm frequently listening while unable to skip the ads (riding my bike, working, etc.). The absolute hell of having to listen to an ad for a business that is actively and knowingly destroying people's lives is just so sick.
All I ever seem to hear nowadays while listening to music on SoundCloud is that damned Chumba Casino ad, only interrupted occasionally by Ryan Reynolds talking about phone plans and the economy sucking ass.
As a massive fan of Sea In The Sky, I was shocked to see Drew Gooden's name show up on my Spotify recommended. I absolutely love Cascade and I'm so happy you got to collab with Sam like that. I would love to see more with y'all together!
I've been sports betting for 10+ years now. I started when I was broke in University. In my first month, I turned $20 into $2,000. It was the single worst thing that could have ever happened to me. While I'm probably close to even over the last 10 years (which is a miracle on its own), I still very much consider myself a problem gambler now. If you're at all curious about getting into it - please do not.
congrats on recovering and good luck, I can’t imagine how hard it is. is it one of those “when you start, you cant stop” addictions, where it’s better to never even try the thing (like cigarettes) ?
People truly don’t understand how hard it is to not lose money sports betting. It’s another societal problem that would probably be much easier to solve if we could zoom out and show the bigger picture every time. I noticed I was going down the wrong path and so I’ve pivoted to paper betting; I still get to enjoy the process and analyze statistics and stuff but I’m not losing money in the process. I don’t think I’ll start outting money down until I’ve at least got a strong model, even then it still would feel slimy
@@milly- I think it's more like alcohol. Smoking is much more addictive than alcohol, and I would say more people have a healthy relationship with drinking than smoking. I know a lot of people that bet on sports without it ruining their lives, like I know a lot of people that drink without it ruining their lives. But that doesn't mean you can't become addicted, especially if you fall on hard times. Whether it is worth it to take on that risk is up to you. I've bet on sports for a long time, but my bets have always been a dollar, and I haven't added money into my account in 5 years. To make betting safe is to make it boring, which is why most people don't do what I do. After the advent of the internet, the genie is forever out of the bottle tho. It was stupid easy to legally bet offshore before it was technically legalized. The best we can do now is regulate the delivery method and advertising.
Tony Soprano is the only TV character I’ve seen struggle with a realistic gambling addiction. The scene where he flips out at Carm because she wouldn’t let him bet 100K more on a horse race that he won is so pertinent
I recently watched an old French movie called Bay of Angels that got it so right. The characters are all deluding themselves into thinking they have a "system" and are lying to themselves about having it under control. The woman admits that she has been divorced, lost custody of her son, and sometimes has to sleep on a bench outside when she has gambled all her money away. Great movie.
One of my favourite book series, Six of Crows, has a character who has a serious gambling addiction, he almost loses his fathers farm and I think the way the author portrays it as and itch and needing to play 'just one game' is incredibly realistic and really well written
Sopranos is so good at capturing the horrible reality of unchecked narcissism. Another that comes to mind is how Tony doesn’t really care that Vito was gay towards the end of the show but has to act like it’s a big deal to him to stay “traditional”- self admitting the absurdity of it but being so desperate to cling to surrounding expectations as to not seem like a fool. Willing to throw a person *he doesn’t even have a problem with* away because he didn’t want to potentially be laughed at for mildly challenging a status quo. Usually in TV shows or movies I see interesting characters like this and go “man I’d love to psychoanalyze this person” but actually making a show where virtually the whole point is a psychoanalytic case study is so interesting. Certainly leaves a huge impression given how much I think about it all these years later. Incredible show
I had a guy get extremely drunk at my work then spend 20 minutes trying to convince me to make a new sports betting app. (For context, I'm a game developer.) He kept going on about how much money I could make if it's a good one can just couldn't grasp the concept that I didn't want to do that. Legit had to explain to him that I feel uncomfortable exploiting people and that, besides, I already know what I want to do. His friend then proceeded to throw up outside and while it's not relevant, it really hit home on the frat boy vibes they were giving off.
As someone who makes games, I'll admit I've had the intrusive thought of "if I just made a crypto slots machine..." But then I snap myself out of it. I need the money, sure - but I'm not about to take it from people who need help
I love the posters you have behind you with the Avatar locations. Looked them up to find more like them, my girlfriend and I have been looking for minimalist nerdy posters. Great video!
Im glad someone is talking about this because in the past 8 months or so, all of my coworkers have become addicted to just casually gambling in apps on their phones, and its really disturbing to me. Not necessarily the gambling or gaming part, but the idea that we're on our lunch break, I'm eating a ham sandwich, a Joe over here is trading his kids college fund over for another spin on an imaginary slot machine on his iphone...
Münecat did a similar video essay about kick streamers advertising gambling, and how a lot of these casinos are registered in small island nations that offer HUGE breaks for them.
Sadly there isn't a way to invest in those casinos that are registered in small island nations, otherwise they'd be a great way to get around the unfortunate problem of the massive taxes on US gambling companies.
Bizarrely, the long running BBC show Midsomer Murders has a really heartfelt episode about the insidious nature of gambling apps. The part about reeling the suffering 'customers' back in after they try to stop gambling, because they lost so much money.. horrifyingly realistic. And unexpected, for a show with plot points such as 'my wife ran the car off the road because she saw a ghost' and 'promising teenage pianist almost dies by falling gargoyle'
I can’t believe you didn’t use Midsomer plots like “man bludgeoned to death with a machine rigged to fling his own wine bottle collection at him while he is staked to the ground in his backyard” or “eaten by pigs after being covered in truffle oil”
I love Midsomer Murders for those kinds of episodes. They hit the spot with heavy and important topics surprisingly well for a crime show sometimes. (and I love them for the bad ones and the fact that AT LEAST two people must die per episode. AT LEAST.)
@@thebadpoetOr people killed and posed according to folk song lyrics - like the guy next to the bowl of fresh eggs and live eels (the song from that episode ia great though)
Bless you Mr. Gooden for being aware of the side effects and impact your influence has on your audience. This influencer era is brewing mass psychosis for realz for realz. But actually, good work.
Hi, Drew. I usually never comment on any videos and I don't think you'll see this comment, but I wanted to thank you for making this. I'm a teenager, and I've never had firsthand experience with gambling, so I've never seen the worst of any addictions. But the part of the video where you showed the gambling stream with the guy who lost all this money genuinely made me feel dread in my stomach. For the past couple months, I've had a lot of classmates and coworkers talk to me about sports gambling because it was just legalized in my state. It's kind of scary because all of them are teenagers who've already lost a bunch of money on the apps. But since it seemed like fun and I keep getting ads for these apps on Spotify and RUclips, I was considering a download. Now, I know I will not. So thank you for potentially saving me from a financial hole later on.
You seem like a smart and level headed kid. it’s good to hear about teenagers like you who are able to see past the manipulations that make it difficult for your generation to thrive.
Living in Nevada is so weird because gambling is so engrained in daily life here that it’s super easy to take for granted that pretty much no where else in the county is like this. There’s slot machines in grocery stores and gas stations and there’s casinos everywhere. Gaming revenue is a huge part of our state’s economy. I really feel for addicts who live here because it’s almost impossible to ignore it.
one of my most distinct memories was going to a denny’s in portland after moving there and noticing there were some video poker/slot type machines. just sitting in a denny’s. and that on its own struck us as super insidious. yet somehow on our drive there passing through reno we never had that thought occur to us. it just felt way more normal cause we’ve normalized a lot of nevada being completely reliant on gambling
On the flip side having never lived in a state with legal slots when I’ve gone into gas stations in states that do and see the machines it feels wrong, to be a bit hyperbolic its like looking at the devil. Super inviting and flashy but you know its purpose built to ruin lives.
One of my close friends was considering moving to Reno and wanted to visit. He found a punk bar that he wanted to check out and was excited. We walked in and there were slot machines installed in the bar top. Up til that point I had been considering moving with him (we were roommates at the time). When I realized that even the counterculture spaces were still under the thumb of gambling, I knew it wasn't a place I could live. There are a lot of really cool things in Nevada and I've enjoyed all my visits there, but it's so hard to imagine living there if you have any sort of addiction or addictive tendencies whatsoever.
one of the best videos i’ve seen recently. it was like watching an extremely well researched but incredibly interesting research paper. this is what video essays should be. it’s so fascinating to see drew grow as a content creator and create such important videos. keep it up man love u
Why do i need to watch this guy again
First reply! Sigma moment!
Idk I always lose the gamble of a good video with him
drew took 12 minutes to pin this
You don't, stop it, leave
I kinda wish the pinned comments were like how they once were, genuine confused people instead of people who are just playing it up, I mean it made me laugh though so not all bad.
just starting the video now but i’m betting it’ll be a good one 🎰
edit: i am so sorry
thanks eddy
Aw dang it!
Is your brain still fried from margaritaville eddy
Odds are always in our favor when it comes to drew making a fool of himself.
Who are you
Reminds me of how alcohol is advertised. they always sorta just whisper “drink responsibly” right after essentially telling you drinking will make you happier than you’ve ever been
total wine ads
@@rottenteeth2623find what you love and love what you find
its required by law they say that
It does make you happier
@@rrameir does it...? It makes my mum sad and it killed my dad :)
it's kind of an online gamble watching your videos because i WANT to see amanda (winning money) but it's usually just you talking (losing all your money)
too true 🙁
So close! But that means she’ll DEFINITELY be on next time.
I always watch to see Amanda!
99% of viewers stop watching before Amanda appears
@@cadmus204that drawing of the guy giving up right before he hits gold, but the gold is Amanda
gambling in australia is crazy. every bistro or pub has a massive room full of slot machines called the pokies and when you peak in there it’s mostly middle aged-elderly men and women sitting there with deadpan faces. they put sportsbet ads everywhere especially during footy season and then it’s followed by the mandatory “gambling can ruin lives - authorised by the australian government, canberra” cue card. i always thought it was a generational thing until i found out a few of my mates bet on the afl and lose mad money - very scary and oddly normalised here. great video drew
Not just sports. I work at a place that sells lotto. The amount of money spend on the lotto is INSANE. Like my weeks worth of income on lotto tickets
@@rhiannonstull3032 I quit my job as a gas station clerk as soon as I could, there was an older dude (under 50, but close) that would come in and spend the better part of 3 hours buying, scratching, and re-buying lotto tickets. No drinks, no snacks, nothing. That didn't bother me, it was his 3yo child that walked with him. Back and forth, between the counter and the scratching post. He never bought her anything in the 5 months I worked there
Sport betting ads are completely our of hand just due to saturation in Australia. RUclips is guaranteed that over 50% of ads are Sportsbet (unskippable or course), and the remaining 50% still ahve a chance to be an ad for another gambling app, podcasts that do geo-location ads are 90% Neds ads by volume, and if they dont I'm getting American sportbook ads just as much. Its literally exhausting
The worst part is that we can't control it because the gambling and sports companies reliant on gambling money have the politicians in their back pockets so time for more ads at 6pm where the children can see it while they're watching the footy. That seems fine.
Also not to mention with online betting so readily available now. A lot of the bookies/companies hosting the bets are from other countries sending our money away offshore instead of remaining within the local/national economy.
Moreover, online betting lets people do it from the comfort and privacy of their own home with no one to be able to watch for those signs of problem gambling.
I worked as a TAB operator for 6 years and the droppoff in punters coming to venues to bet is scary.
Drew’s years-long pivot from “how dare you cut a bagel weird” to “incredibly insightful video journalism” is one of the funniest but also most impressive things I’ve ever seen
THERES CREAM CHEESE ON LIKE THREE OF HER FINGERS
@@absolanimations9276HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TOAST THIS BAGEL
I was going to say it’s actually really cool that this guy turned a viral vine into legitimately insightful and well-researched, honest journalism.
Why would you scoop a bagel it comes pre scooped that's what the hole is for ughhh
So true I love how his content has evolved with his audience
As someone who got called a “p*ssy-*ss b*tch that doesn’t know anything about making money” by their coworker for warning them about the dangers of sports betting, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one bothered by how accessible gambling has become, especially to young people.
Let's be honest, if they were really making any money off of it they wouldn't feel the need to insult you about it- they're more than likely bitter that you were smart enough to avoid the pitfall that they weren't and are too far in denial to blame themselves
yikes
@@birdenthusiast5421 Well said coworker has also said several slurs while working, so they’re not exactly known for their stellar personality
I’m sorry you gotta share air with someone that nasty 😭
Hmm I wonder how much money they've made since that conversation
I love him saying "my friend birthday" and cutting to a picture of his wife
Well I hope he's friends with his wife
@vogelvrouw very true haha
I noticed that too. That mean she's single? 😍
@@ZeroTimesZero
No I think she’s married to this weird guy who has a RUclips channel
@@ZeroTimesZerounfortunately she lost her life in Afghanistan 😢
In psychology, there are 4 reinforcement strategies to encourage a certain behavior: fixed ratio, fixed interval, variable ratio, and variable interval. Gambling follows the best one, which is variable ratio (i.e. reinforcement occurs after a varying number of responses). Ironically, getting paid from working at a job follows the worst reinforcement strategy, which is fixed interval (i.e. reinforcement occurs after a fixed period of time)
i'm curious, could you briefly explain those four strategies?
No joke, I uninstalled my sports betting app while watching this. You made it sound so uncool.
proud of you! great decision
congrats!
I'm just a stranger on the internet but yeah, sports betting and gambling in general look so lame and unattractive to me. It's worse than someone spending way too much time yelling at their computer when playing LoL
👏👏👏Proud of you man.
That’s a great decision! I’m so happy for you!
@@sapphireblue4031 LoL is a lifestyle. It's not just a game it's another reality. I foam at the mouth every time I see a positive K/D and Will sink tens of hours in without sleep just to feel something (I've never actually touched LoL.....)
As someone who was born and lives in Las Vegas, I do not gamble or drink. My father, who was a casino manager, always told me "This town wasn't built on the backs of winners."
I live up near Reno and I’m the same way. It’s even crazier that our state’s economy is based around gaming revenue so our entire state is literally built on people losing money.
Oof! A word.
From Vegas as well. Same here. It’s weird to see a new generation getting so into it.
Wise words.
I wasn't born here but my dad moved me here. Honestly haven't gambled a day in my life, it's just not appealing to me. I'd like to keep my money, thanks.
Genuinely the most important video you've put out. My brother has hit rock bottom. He is on the brink of losing his child, his job and his family due to a gambling addiction. People need to be aware of what this industry really is.
my condolences fr. this shit is soul sucking. hope he gets through it
@@quiet451 people know what the industry is and plenty of people freely choose to be involved. You can’t blame a lack of awareness for a lack of self control.
I take losses and not important but wins are fun. That’s human nature. It has nothing to do with the gambling companies. No promotion made me that way.
What exactly is the industry doing to cause problem gambling?
To me they just facilitate gambling
I'm so sorry, this is exactly why this sort of advertising is so disgusting it's affecting real people with real lives just trying to get through thier day, I really hope your brother is able to get better
That is heartbreaking. I’m truly sorry your family is going through this. Hope he’s able to get the help he needs before it’s too late.
I'm sorry for what you are going through. My mom has always had trouble with gambling. She was on the online gambling train back when you had to use crypto and get a VPN to pretend you were off shore. It can be life altering.
unironically i think it's great drew is talking about this. i'm a sports fan and it's insane how in a few short years how crazy online gambling has gotten and how normalized it's become
No you don’t
@@herrforesight-Satanisking This is a *bot* account (report them to RUclips)
@@herrforesight-Satanisking Why?
as a non sports fan but someone who happens to have these apps advertised to them, i’m also glad. i hate these apps, they shouldn’t be allowed to advertise wherever
It's great, won't change a thing though
Another thing I noticed about the sports betting is that it’s making ppl treat athletes even worse. Like I’ve seen some truly disgusting comments about athletes because they didn’t fulfill someone’s dumb parlay
Don’t forget when ESPNBet accused an athlete of purposely ruining their over
Just wait until I run into an athlete after dropping points in my fantasy league
@@bofthesea4730 ooooh gurlll im petty enough that if i were that athlete id be purposely fucking up people's parlays like fuck em gambling execs and fuck yall for attacking and harassing me cuz you lost money you didnt even have
I'm part of the patreon community for one of the few sports podcasts out there that doesn't take gambling sponsorships (or any sponsors, for that matter), and as you might imagine the hosts and the community are generally against sports betting, and especially against how much sports betting has taken over the way we watch and interact with sports. I've said before, and I'll say it again here, that sports betting is so important to the bottom lines of every league that I don't think that meaningful change will happen to restrict the most addictive aspects of sports betting (like parlay bets and bonus bets) until an enraged gambling addict physically harms an athlete or an athlete's loved one(s) because of a lost bet. That or maybe a thrown championship like the 1919 Black Sox scandal, which nearly killed MLB. I hate to be so cynical, but this country has not given me any hope that the well-being of people will be prioritized over profit without the spilled blood of the working class. Also I don't mean to get off-topic but 99% of professional athletes have more in common with the working man than they do with the billionaires they work for. The ability for baseball players to choose who they work for has existed for only a little over 50 years, and even then free agency as we know it today has only existed in the past few decades. Google Flood v. Kuhn. Support players' unions and fuck the owners.
Fr the amount of times i see someone blaming an athlete for losing them money. It's absolutely a method of shifting the blame. "Well it's obviously lebron james' fault that I lost money. I know basketball and he usually scores more than that so it's his fault and not mine that I lost money"
I am an addict. A heroin and meth addict. I have been addicted to any good feeling I’ve ever had. I’m coming up on 5 years clean in December. This fact along with seeing my dad lose all his retirement money means I know to stay far away from gambling. It is interesting to see how some forms of the same disease (addiction) are acceptable and some are not in society. No judgement, obviously, it’s just fascinating to watch.
Watching that shirtless man’s lifeless eyes as he is betting resonated with me. Drew’s empathy is not lost on me. Just one more hit and I’ll stop. Just one more jackpot and I’ll stop. Well, maybe one more because I’m dopesick. Well, maybe one more because I’m in debt and need to get it back. It is so similar and it ws heartbreaking to watch that man.
Glad you're in a healthier place now ❤ you're so strong
Congrats on you being clean and on your journey ❤️ wishing you all the best for the future 🎈
Congrats man. It is not lost on me how hard of work it is to stay clean and even though non of us know you we are so proud of you. ❤
I couldn't tell u the amount of times I've said one more cart then I'm done. Still not done but I'm trying 🙏
Whens the 5 years date?
In the UK we have so many 'bingo' gambling sites. They advertise constantly. I keep telling RUclips I don't want these ads but even when I turn off gambling ads I still get them. Honestly it's just non-stop and they're also the worst, most aggressively tacky, loud, annoying and looooonnng ads.
i always think these are so insidious! they’re treated like this harmless, cutesy form of gaming, when in reality it’s just as much gambling as spinning slots. and they’re so inescapable! so many of our major TV programmes are sponsored by bingo websites, that will play their advert 4-5 times per hour. you can very easily see 20+ bingo adverts in one evening of watching UK television.
in australia, after a gambling ad is shown, they are legally obligated to include a message at the end (both written AND spoken) with something like “chances are, you’ll lose” or “think of all the things you could be buying instead”
Just in case anyone thinks that Australia is better with its handling of gambling. When people here whistleblower the corruption and scumminess in the gambling industry here, they just harassed, sent to court and threatened with jail time
Australia has some of the highest gambling rates in the world, so I don't think it's working 😭
I'm not sure it works because Australians are the biggest gambling losers per capita in the world.
@@emmadenton1826 really
@emmadenton1826 its only been put into effect as of late last year, but they also thankfully got rid of the ads appearing during daytime tv spots, they were so horribly common 😭 90% of ads on tv were gambling ads during the day
Between gacha games and Juul, companies are repacking addictions in glossy new packages. I’m glad you’re covering this and I love ur videos!!
I’m reminded of someone my age(mid twenties) I saw say “I never got to vape when I was younger so I feel like I missed out on some of my youth.” I was like… What. I felt like I had been sent back in time.
Between gacha and Juul, I alone am the addicted one.
Don't forget the rebranding of marijuana as a miracle medicine, instead of a drug. It's not as harmful as we used to believe, but it is absolutely still a drug.
tobacco companies were forced to run ads about the dnagers of smoking cigarettes and the like, so they pivoted. once vapes and the like get the same treatment, they'll pivot again. it's horrific.
@@Slimecantdefeatme Crazy how much influence advertising and social pressure has on us, where people think you need to inhale fruit flavored smoke to enjoy their youth. And I say this as someone in their 20s
It’s actually crazy how gambling is promoted everywhere. I don’t see how it’s even legal to advertise it that much
congrats on first
Forst comment
Literally it's so odd to me, how is it so normalized?
It’s legal cause the SCotUS overturned a 1992 federal act with only dem-nominated justices dissenting.
Didn't used to be! It's explicitly legal now, thanks shitty supreme court!
This video is truly perfect. I've seen people close to me develop gambling addictions after watching streamers promote it. The phrase "selling your soul" is often misinterpreted as literal, but in this context, it serves as a powerful metaphor. When celebrities or streamers accept deals from online or traditional casinos, they profit directly from their audience's losses. While some see it as these influencers "securing the bag," the reality is that they have sold their soul for personal gain. I believe this isn't just a looming crisis for the United States but a global gambling epidemic in the making.
I'm loving this transition to covering more serious/important topics in your videos recently, Drew. Keep it up!
We should gamble Drew’s life for more Roblox
@@Lucas_b19 I don’t play Roblox but you’re so right
Same! Loved his AI Video, actually bringing something new to the table, not just regurtitating what 100 other people before have said.
please!
@@adeer87 I don’t either I just think it would be a good sacrifice
I love that Drew Gooden is unafraid to say “suicide” or “fuck”. Genuinely it’s so refreshing to see someone stare down RUclips censors and ignore them. I’m so sick of hearing “unalive”, thank you Drew for not using newspeak
Oh my God it is. Just 1984
Me too. Its definitely appreciated
At the same time understand that they do that because well.. they need to get paid
yeh it sucks to hears those words but you can't really blame them. RUclips just sucks that bad
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..but they don't have to be a youtuber
I'm a graphic designer that has been struggling to find a job for the past couple months and there's been a CRAZY rise in job offers for designers from betting and e gambling companies. Nothing like I'd seen in the past. The current job market is insane and I've reached the point of desperation so I started applying to these jobs even though i think it's absolutely immoral. I've managed to get to the last stage interview with one of these and they ended up rejecting me last minute. At first I was disappointed but after a while I realized I dodged a bullet. Just doing the test assignment made me feel DEAD inside. I can't imagine waking up every day and be like "yay, another 8 hours of creating flashy ads to make gambling addicts go into even more debt and make their families' lives a nightmare!!"
Graphic designer, felt.
I’m in the exact same boat! I’m not sure what’s more sinister- when the design job opening is way above market rate to the point it’s clearly too good to be true, or pennies and there’s still at least dozens of applicants. Inside you there are two online-gambling wolves
If you’re not going to do it someone else will. Might as well get the bag
That "test assignment" isn't a test. They've taken your work and will use all or some of it for their marketing. They've sadly just used you for free labor.
Future designer (hopefully) and that's gotta b a tough choice like jus bite the bullet and take the job u need or stick to your morals, glad u dodged the bullet, I hope u found an amazing job u love or at least one that doesn't make u feel bad about doing it
Notably there's also been a rise in gacha games, like a lot. And they're not even just boring old gacha games, they're sometimes really good and have other fun mechanics or good stories
Real talk, I got laid off over a year ago and since have been playing the lottery and making some bets here and there while trying to find a job and make ends meet, and It feels like so little but I also win a couple dollars sometimes. It makes me feel like if I just win big I can make up for all the losses and I'll be good. I didn't know what I was expecting coming into watching this video but it fr opened my eyes like wtf am I doing wasting money on this stuff. I hope it helps other people realize too.
Real talk thanks for this Drew. Glad I been watching you for years genuinely.
Natural selection at this point
Hey, congrats for catching it before it got out of control. Stay strong, and best of luck finding a good job soon.
you can do it, glad this video helped!!
Hey, that's awesome. Glad you're thinking of walking away. It might be worth googling to see if there's a Gambler's Anonymous group in your area.
Hell yeah, man, get the hell out of dodge. Don't let the pull of gambling rangle you back in.
14:19 the tone with which the interviewer says "really?!" is so perfect. The sheer gall that CEO has to deny all responsibility... absolutely wild.
also that ceo’s eyes tell it all. you only hold your eyes open that wide if you see the horrors you’re responsible for when you close them.
That is *precisely* what I was going to say.
I have an older brother who is CONSTANTLY on his phone playing virtual slots. I’m not exaggerating when I say *_literally_* every time we have a conversation he’s subconsciously tapping Spin on his phone. It’s almost creepy.
I was listening to a podcast and had two ads in a row: one for online sports betting, followed immediately by a request for donations from my local Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. It was truly dystopian.
It's pretty disheartening that the companies actively harming people with addiction have orders of magnitude more money than the agencies trying to help
its what really causes Idiocracy, things aren't even 10% as bad as they could be but if 80% of humans get addicted to gambling this country is cooked.
Preemptive solutions I guess
They're no longer just making a problem and selling the solution, they're selling the problem too.
19:07 The holes in the wall behind him that are clearly from punching it out of anger is just....really sad.
He’s on a high dose of steroids and does a ton of coke so you shouldn’t be surprised
I was looking for this comment-when the guy moved his head, you could see how many times he has punched a hole through the drywall. That is very concerning to me because not only has this guy lost a shit ton of money, but he’s got such anger issues that he’s destroying his own home, whether he owns or rent it.
BTW, I have never understood punching holes in your walls that you ultimately will have to fix or pay to have fixed. It’s like punching yourself in the face repeatedly. So sad and childish.
@@kat.w.RBF444 shout out to when my brother punched a hole in my wall
@kat.w.RBF444 I don't get it either, plus it hurts. When I was angry as a kid and I needed to let out anger, my mom would hold up a pillow for me to punch instead. As much as I think non-violent outlets are better, if you need to hit something, at least hit something soft
He’s an influencer known for gambling and for promoting high doses of anabolic steroids. The dry wall is … not a surprise
if you want a dystopic look at it, look at the sheer amount of gambling ads in Australia. they're unblockable, unskippable, loud as hell, and up until recently, _never_ had to say 'gamble responsibly'; and once they had to, half of them tacked it on sarcastically or whispered it in a bitcrushed second.
The video by BoyBoy with FriendlyJordies about the gambling problem in Australia is great, but really depressing
I've been looking but there doesn't really seem to be a way to invest in Australian gambling companies sadly.
@@TristanLane520 "Why can't i profit off this awful, exploitative industry? sad"
@@SissypheanCatboywhy not ?! People are gonna throw their money away any ways, might as well profit
I've turned into one of those elderly 33 year olds that mutes ads thanks to the sheer amount of gambling ads in Australia.
I don't even make bets with my friends for trivial things like ''if you lose, you pay me $2'', because I know that the possibility of me winning is slim to none. I can't imagine trying to gamble with hundreds or thousands of dollars when it's almost obvious these companies don't really want you to win anything.
14:04 isn’t this like Jack Daniel’s saying “no there’s no alcoholics-they’re all addicted to Coca Cola. It just happens that they’re adding our product to it”
It's really giving Immortan Joe's "DO NOT BECOME ADDICTED TO WATER" line
That dude looks so incredibly sleazy too. The way he lies through his (probably fake) teeth with a smile on his face about something he knows is blatantly untrue is absolutely sickening.
That's actually a really good comparison, because yes, people do get addicted to coca cola (or sugar generally), just like people do get addicted to phones.
Only that alcohol and gambling are in a completely different league in terms of the harm they cause.
My dad was addicted to coca cola for a lot of his life. As a young man he and his friend would be at a bar and both just drink and drink instead of eating anything for dinner - coke for him, and alcohol for his friend. They each had their addiction.
My dad is now fat. He's happily married for decades, has two kids, a great job, runs a pub quiz and sings in a choir. A good life, but yeah, he is fat. All that sugar had consequences in the end.
His friend died thirty years ago. Alcohol poisoning.
There is no way making something way easier to do means people are more likely to do it - Sports Betting CEOs (probably)
I’ve been trying to switch to just drinking plain water. This comment triggers a serious craving. I’m genuinely feeling the urge to go buy some Diet Coke.
On a genuine note I love that recently you've been doing these funny more informative videos. It highlights issues and explains the reasons for it, what could be done, if there is nothing just mercilessly mock it. Okay it is more about the catharsis of the funny man saying things I agree with, but who cares I like it.
I fuck with the direction hope he keeps it up
I've always said Drew Good was like John Oliver but for less consequential things. However, he's really stepped his game up recently
@@BryanDaly-j2h i totally see the comparison
I personally hate it cuz I just have this image of drew being the guy who's funny, and for me these issue videos are just depressing. Granted he can't stay on the same topic forever but I hope he doesn't switch over to this style completely
yes but also bad christmas movie video when?
I’m 18 years old and one of my last classes in high school essentially turned into an anti gambling PSA in real time. I watched as my friends started sports betting, setting up parlays that seemed so easy to hit, but always just one thing would seem to go wrong. Maybe a great player would get benched in the last few minutes of a game, maybe someone would miss an open layup and they’d miss by one point. They watched as seemingly everyone around them, from managers to siblings to other friends started to win big money. They’d argue it wasn’t gambling because there was a strategy to it, they’d set limits for when and how much they’d bet and then break those limits. They literally used the actual textbook gambler’s fallacy to explain their bets. And eventually they had to quit cold turkey because they had lost so much money, without cashing out anything. Thank you for making this video, people really need help.
I had a similar experience as well, some guys were betting on horse racing in the middle of one of my last math classes. Absolutely insane, I don't think they lost money but there's a time and a place
Man, that’s scary and depressing.
Lmaooooooo jfc, so insanely weak
@@GlRTHBR00KS Relax psych ward patient, you're not old enough to gamble yet of course you don't get it.
Really piss' on your bacon doesn't it...
Echoing what others have said already, I love how your content has become so insightful and educational! Your dry sense of humor also really makes it compelling to watch. Good work!
Not relevant to sports betting, but recently I had my boss casually mention how his phone is full of pachinko pictures. He's a married man with child. Can't imagine thinking gambling at that age is prudent or worth it.
I am a high school teacher in Australia, and we have had to have whole year level interventions to address the crippling gambling epidemic that is spreading through our schools. It’s absolutely shocking to hear how causally some students speak about their wins and losses in class, some as young as 14!
kind of wondered how indoctrinated the younger generation must be from all of the gambling content that is pushed onto them these days.. oh man, it sounds worse than i thought tbh!
@@MokuTom how these kids are probably watching people like xqc who are gambling addicts, and you know kids, they see some trashy internet person do a thing, and now they want to do it
But lets face it, us Aussies have always been dumb when it comes to gambling and its only going to get worse.
@@stackhat8624 The gambling lobbying is so bad that they (casinos and such) are effectively an extra branch of government down here, so things are definitely not getting better.
Best case, people get burned when they are young and turn away from it, but gambling wouldn't be a vice if it was so easy to wash your hands of it.
@@MokuTom Who wouldve thought that subjecting young minds to the absolute shitshow that is lootboxes in videogames and gambling ads seemingly pumped into everything might have bad consequences for their minds?
As an Australian, where our sports betting is out of control and recent government attempts (that are majorly publicly popular) failed because of gambling companies lobbying and threatening our media, buckle up. You're in for a ride that will leave ordinary people (mainly men) homeless, unable to feed themselves or their families, and massively in debt and addicted. I'm glad Drew is talking about this. Hopefully at least one or two people who watch this will re-evaluate their gambling.
Islam bans it outright, you can’t even gamble a little tiny bit because that just leaves a little hole that will eventually break open. Same with drugs.
It’s pretty sad to see that society is so fucked up now that kids don’t even have dads to teach the dangers of such things.
The Liberals are owned by gambling companies and it's a vicious circle. Gambling companies pay billions for them to get in, then when the Liberals are in they make laws that give the companies even more money. Any opposition is stomped out with endless waves of money and propaganda and the news is owned by billionares who want all this to continue. The media doesn't need to be intimated when Murdoch owns then all.
Money is poured into the Liberals to get in and people are too stupid to look into them even slightly.
@@abdullahnadeem1823 why would dads teach the dangers of these things? they're the ones leaving their families and even driving them into debt with the exact opposite of what they're "supposed" to be doing. don't know why you'd still expect fathers to do such a thing
I was sitting here thinking how the yanks get to feel how it is to be bombarded by betting ads all day, lol. It's all over our public buses, our trains, the government even let them project a sports betting ad on the bloody Opera House. Absolutely no shame in this country.
@@syd7608preach
In Spain the ads went so crazy the government forbade them during daylight hours. This added to the fact that casinos and betting places were being strategically built near schools so teens could go there even if it's illegal (Spain is very walkable and people usually walk to high school), created a HUGE problem here.
WHAT!? That's actually deplorable! 💀
I’ll add that Ontario (Canada) where I’m from passed a ban on athletes or celebs promoting gambling in ads! They can still be in gambling ads, but only for promoting safe gambling practices
It’s a step at least 🫠
True, when I was in high school (I'm talking like almost 10 years ago) I had classmates that regularly talked about betting on futbol matches. And there's betting places everywhere. It feels like they wete taking advantage of the 2008 economic crisis and the youth unemployment numbers
I have a guy in my class that's highly addicted, we're 16
I‘m from germany and this is a huge problem here too. In high school a bunch of people in my year were at least a little (if there is such a thing) addicted to gambling but it was always kind of treated like a joke. And I think in part this is due to the fact that they were all boys/men. I feel like this is a huge problem for young men especially because to admit they are addicted is to admit some kind of failure (in their eyes at least) which might be perceived as weak by society/the people around them. This feels like an important video and to anyone struggling: the greatest strength is in stopping and you are not weak for „falling for“ this stuff. It‘s designed to trap you and you are worth getting help.
“Being in the passenger seat of my own mind” is how i describe living in active alcoholism. Almost two years sober now. Addiction is a disease
Congrats on almost 2 years sober! You should be so proud of yourself, keep it up
Praying the best for you. I'm so proud of you for the progress you've made
Congrats on almost two years, that's awesome. One day at a time, friend. You got this.
Jesus, that slot spinner’s Kick stream was genuinely disturbing. It’s so disconcerting and heartbreaking to see someone’s actual addiction play out in real time. Even if he is gambling money given to him by these platforms, I truly hope that man gets help. If not, this “problem gambling” will infect every part of his life until there’s nothing left.
The holes in the wall behind him are a concerning sign to me...
its not as disturbing as it seems though since like he said he can just make it all back with his guy Howie; the real danger is people who aren't streamers
@@member93His partnership will end eventually and then he will lose everything he has ever made from them within a few months. The richer the person the less concern they have with spending it.
The part he was saying "I should stop at some point" and at the same time he couldn't stop spinning the slot genuinely scared me.
he is also a coke and steroid addict lol
the bit about getting bombarded with your trigger every time you turn on the tv hits me so hard u__u; i don't have a gambling addiction myself but ive struggled with eating disorders for over a decade, and its SO difficult to recover when every. other. ad. is for a diet pill or liposuction. those kinds of ads are so harmful in so many ways, man...
man youre exactly right, and i really hope recovery is going well for you. trying to recover from an ED can feel like hell sometimes, it is NOT for the weak
hey, best of luck with your recovery - personally, i've struggled with both gambling & disordered eating, and one of the hardest parts abt the eating stuff is that the societal pressure to keep it up runs further and wider, even into your peers subtly. any effort to recover is fucking awesomely cool and i'm rootin for you so hard rn. tv can't be helped, but never feel bad for utilising social media's block/mute functions to the fullest! :D
THIS. weightloss ads should not be legal imo. it's been so relentless this past year or so especially :(
It gets so much worse around the end of year holidays too. My workplace plays FM radio over the intercom which means hearing weight loss ads multiple times per day. Can't tune it out with earphones or ear plugs because I have to be able to listen for chatter on our handheld radios at all times.
I was getting triggered by the Noom commercials every ad break and I don't even have an ED.
22:27 This is valuable commentary. The truth is that these repeated pushes for on line gambling apps are not all sports related. I never watch anything related to sports and still I am subjected to a constant flow of these extra-pushy ads for casino apps and other casino junk. There is one with some has-been actor playing a piano in a veterinarian clinic. He wears a solid gold suit ..like we are supposed to associate these apps with "solid gold". He goes on about how if you are sitting there waiting for your doggee and you are worried, you should relax with a gambling app. There is another one with some mostly forgotten African American celebrity playing a piano. These pop up about 4 times in an hour. Whoever " they " is they want everyone to gamble.
I love the broken wall behind that gambling streamer. Environmental storytelling
even better when you realize he is a coke and steroid addict
One thing that he doesn't mention, but is definitely under the same umbrella - gacha games. And I mention this as a gacha player myself. While there are a few of us who don't focus on the gacha mechanics, or are careful about if/when we want to "pull" or gamble for a character/weapon/resource/what have you, so many more are spending outright to gamble for it all. I have seen people spend the equivalent of a car payment, or a house down payment, to gamble for maxed-out characters, etc. And worse is that unlike sports betting or traditional casinos - there's no age gate. Kids can and have fallen prey to the gacha without having it explained to them. This stuff needs regulation and monitoring.
I'd 100% appreciate a sequel that touches on gacha games. I'm active in anime/video game fandom spheres online, so I've absorbed surface level knowledge about Mihoyo games like Genshin Impact. I've started to loathe how much they've exploded in popularity, especially because some fans get weird real fast when you express concern over predatory mechanics or unhealthy behavior. Nothing wrong with playing responsibly, but too many people think that "let people enjoy things" is an appropriate response to legitimate concerns about teenagers developing gambling addictions.
Avid Genshin player here. I love the game but there is no denying that the wishing system is a dangerous tool. I’ve never spent a single cent on the game and I watch my in game currency like a hawk, but there is a concerningly large amount of people on the game that are addicted. Totally with you on this one
i knew a girl who’d spent like £900 total on genshin at 18… insane
Not just gacha games, also coming from someone who plays gacha (pretty much only Arknights though). You need to look broader than just Gacha games, fifa having their pack system, lootboxes with random drops in diablo immortal and numerous other games. It’s not just gacha games, but there are so many games out there that offer an alternative to real gambling, it’s concerning. The hard thing with gacha games is that, if you have good self-control, like most people. There is no problem, i personally spend very little each month, and i just save my resources so i can get the character i want once.
The problem is that companies like Hoyo and now Kurogames too are adding more incentive to go in deeper, by adding things like weapons, and unique passives locked behind duplicated further encouraging to gamble on, instead of just being done with one character. And again, this isn’t a problem for people with good self-control, but for those who don’t it will quickly spiral out of control if you get your hands on that in game purchase shop, i definitely feel like there should be some sort of brake on that as it can be dangerous for vulnerable people and children who haven’t been educated properly about the stupdity of gambling.
You dont even have to go as far as Gacha games. Any game that contains lootboxes and microtransactions works with the same basic principles as those casinos. And the fact that so so many games that are accesible to anyone (looking at fortnite for example) actively push these mechanics onto kids is so depressing and should be illegal. If your game has any mechanic that involves spending real money on chance based loot - make it 18+ and thats that
I work in gaming protection and I'm so happy to see someone in your position shine a light on this. The second the supreme Court passed that legislation I knew how bad things were gonna get.
You might want to check out the forced play dens in Ukraine and Russia. People forced to play three on three football for days at a time.
We're doomed as a society. We're going to have a national crisis on our hands in less than a decade.
@@MilasHarry Agreed...but unrelated to the comment. (I'm mad about what's going to happen to Ukraine, too...I've been following Ukraine since 2013).
@@williamyoung9401 it's been going on for ages now!
"It's not my fault they slipped and fell!" Claims companies that greased up the slope
Every time Drew posts a serious cultural critique video like this one I feel like it needs to blow the hell up. Everything he says is so brilliantly spot on and people legit need to hear it, improving people's general awareness of sleazy stuff like this on a massive scale is pretty much the only way we can really combat it. Please keep up the great work.
And he was really nuanced too. Personally I would not shed a tear if gambling was illegal everywhere, but people would _still_ gamble. It's like how alcohol poisoning was worse during prohibition because there was less regulation making drinking safer.
Let people gamble (in some select places) but regulate it far more than it is now.
sorry offtopic but i really love the comedian pfp
@@WasatchWindSure people would still gamble, but it'd be like small scale underground bars and inaccessible for most non risk taking people, whereas now it's a damn app you can download on your phone
His video about AI is also one of the best out there
There's a quote from Jimquisition that's only gotten more and more real every year, and I feel it applies to these streamers too.
"CEOs don't want lots of money, they want ALL of the money."
It's almost like...they are addicted...to money
What's the fun in being right about everything when everything you're right about is true and a bad thing :(
My dad has gotten into sports betting and it's near crippling. There's been times our water and power went out because he spent the bill money on it, and now we're constantly short on food, too, since he's the breadwinner of the household. The sad part is he doesn't even see how it's hurting his family.
Gosh that must be so upsetting to go through :( I hope you can either talk some sense into him or you can find another way to make money, I truly wish you the best!🥹
I’m so sorry you and your family is going through that.
I hope he accesses the help he needs and that everything works out for you all ❤
i’m so sorry. my dad throws his hat in the ring once in awhile, 5 or 10 bucks for a bet, and he realized he’s bad at it and that he’s starting to like it. after that he had to stop. i’m sorry your father is caught in this addiction. i’m hoping he’s able to make it out of this❤️
This is so awful to read. I hope your dad is able to get the help he needs. If food is getting scarce, don't be afraid to look into resource programs at your school, local churches, or community groups. Addictions are terrible but there's absolutely no shame in accepting a helping hand. We all need to eat and we all need help sometimes.
One additional thing is that seeing people lose everything doesn't even necessarily serve to deter people from partaking, because people watching it are prone to think "well *i* wouldn't be that 'stupid', *i* would DEFINITELY stop while I was ahead", and so they're hooked even if they agree that it's an awful thing happening right in front of them.
I went to Vegas once with some friends and didn't realize til we got there that all of us hated gambling. We climbed boulders in Red Rock Canyon, went to the Valley of Fire, saw the Hoover dam, and finally got a bottle of alcohol and played poker...in our hotel room with no money betting. It was probably the best time I've had there.
For real. Honestly, the gambling in Vegas seems like the most boring part for me (as someone who has never been). Poker is the only game which seems remotely engaging (to a much lesser extent blackjack). Why would I travel all the way to Vegas to play slots or roulette? How is that fun? I genuinely don't understand the appeal. There's so many other things in & around Vegas to do aside from what it's most known for.
Yep. Poker can be a very fun game without the money. It's all about the mind games and the bluffing.
@@spencerlively3049 It is! Every hotel on the strip has something cool about it that has nothing to do with gambling. On previous trips I just walked around and took photos. I like the aquarium and the free water jet show.
The thing that really pisses me off is the obvious marketing to children who aren’t old enough to gamble yet, priming them to start as soon as they turn 18. I keep seeing ads for Betr starring Jake Paul whose audience is almost exclusively middle schoolers. Jake Paul has no marketing value for adults. The only reason to use him in ads for gambling services is to essentially groom children into it so that the second they legally can start using these apps they will.
That's so messed up 😢 like imagine some company making a paw patrol vape that's essentially what they are doing and yet perfectly allowed it's so sad tbh
all those online slot machine apps have characters that look straight out of fornite its wild
honestly? there's the promotion of a gambling platform, and nestled within, the promotion of gambling as an activity. the platforms MIGHT try their best to keep kids out, but any customers the casinos lose are just getting lured in by video game microtransactions instead. its not even 'i cant wait to gamble' its 'i cant wait to gamble for real'
I have a young son and I feel like I have to go to battle against the internet as he grows up. They do IPad lessons in Kindergarten!
This is just more reason for why children just should not have access to internet capable devices - though of course you slowly with guidance give them more autonomy. It causes so much harm in so many ways. For little kids it messes up crucial development they need, go a bit older and it can just be harmful compulsive internet use, go a bit older to teens and they can start finding their way into bad stuff like gambling and porn.
So many young lives are ruined by despicable shady adults making billions in secret dark corners, hoping they can lure kids in who don't know any better.
this is the video essay we needed. normal gambling is one thing, but online gambling (and the hidden kinds too) are demolishing people's lives and it's horrific. it's unbelievable that states keep passing laws to make it easier, but even here in the UK where I'm living it's unavoidable.
"normal gambling" also causes addiction and ruins lives, which is why it was usually very regulated
@@veronica.gimenez absolutely agreed! Even those regulations are becoming worse though, or at least they are in the state I'm from
I think the UK might be worse than most places. I know every time a link is shared with me for help with gambling it’s a UK website… Must be over run if those are the most readily available websites.
You should look up online poker sites and use of AI.
Münecat also has a really good video essay about this! It's called "the messed up politics behind those gambling streams" and she talks about similar things to drew in this video and goes more in depth about stuff like how they get about regulations
Thank you!! I’ve been so surprised more people haven’t been talking about this. It’s incessant.
Balls tugged on one by one
don't threaten me with a good time
Hell yeah sign me up
I don’t know why but that really makes it sound like there’s more than two
I really was not ready for that throwback
Sounds like my kind of party
Thank you, Drew. My beautiful ex boyfriend lost over 10k in one season. When I tried to gently inquire and allow perspective, he shut down. We eventually parted because it scared me. I still check in on him. He says sad is his baseline. Sports were one of the only things he loved to play and watch. Now, I just try to go shoot hoops with him, but even that reminds him of what he can’t have. I hope this message coming from you helps him know it’s bigger than him.
hope he gets his joy for life back, and that you're doing well too 🙏 growth is always possible; even a whole bigazz tree can spring up from ashes and dust after a forestfire🌱
The kindness you show that man will only do good, I pray that he comes out of his addiction soon
this doesn't even touch on gacha games, which are also so enticing because a lot of them are technically free-to-play! but they drop limited skins, limited characters, limited resources, and if you just spend $5, $20, $100, $1000, these things could be yours! right now! and you don't want to miss out, do you? these items may never be available again....
even with "guaranteed" pulls, you have to spend a certain amount of resources before you hit that guarantee threshold which really pulls at the "eh, I just need 10 more pulls, I can spend $20 this once" and then all those tiny transactions snowball so quickly!! it's very scary!!
And with gacha games there's usually enough content in them that they'd actually be worth buying upfront for a normal price, but instead they manipulate you because they want more.
and they are more accessible to children (thinking of hoyoverse or some roblox games, etc) :(
I already made a comment about this, but I spent over $600 on Genshin impact before I realized I had a gambling problem. It wasn’t all at once, it was in $15-$20 stints. You’re so correct that it seems so small, but then you wake up when someone casually asks you how much you’ve spent on Genshin. It’s very embarrassing.
And they make stupid amounts of money. China tried to regulate it and their biggest companies stock nose-dived so hard they immediately back pedaled. These things need to be dealt with before they are too big to fail.
yeah, I was wasting like 20~60/mo on this kpop game with card collecting gatcha mechanics for several months last year which isn't insane but it was still wayyy too much for what it was - thankfully I got lazy about it for awhile and missed the updates for long enough that it felt like it would be a pain to go back. I'm so glad because I don't need that money sink on photocards that aren't even REAL like it was way too easy to spend x_x there was someone I followed on Twitter who gets every special item for her fave and I shudder to imagine how much she is spending 😭😭 Hell even Pocket Camp's gatcha mechanic was too easy to waste money on! I'm trying to just avoid any of those games now.
Also college athletes are being bullied so much more since it’s legal to bet on college sports. College athletes are already more depressed than typical college students and now they are being bullied by people who lost money on their games. These are 18 year olds. They can’t handle this the way adults can.
actually so thankful you put this out I'm only 19 and without this no joke i was gonna start when i had a 'big girl job" out of curiosity and now I'm NEVER GONNA TOUCH IT
YAAAAY GOOD that shit is so evil!!! Right decision.
I’m 21 and same!
Did you need a youtube video to realize how stupid that idea is?? Do people not have any common sense at 19?
@@aneleh6 curiosity is how a lot of things happen. You might know it's bad but curiosity makes you think you might be lucky
Great decision to never touch it! It's so much easier to never start than it is to quit.
19:20 I can only assume the damaged wall behind him is from him punching it after every big loss. What a way to live.
Same guy literally beat his ex girlfriend up on stream. But he gets a sympathetic look from Drew while xQc, who admitted gambling was affecting his mental health and responded with, “I wish I could,” after being told to kill himself on stream last year gets laughed at. xQc’s uncle died from suicide related to gambling addiction. It runs in his family. But nope! We saved all the nuance for the other guy. Definitely a fair and balanced representation 😂
that's gambling + roid rage, incredible combo
his name is Togi he does loads of steroids
@@skrrt-skrrt Maybe drew didnt do that much research. Also, xQc is still promoting gambling? Thats not ok
@@wonkyelsa Where does that make it okay to laugh at and mock someone who is clearly addicted and who might’ve been suicidal when his uncle committed suicide for exactly that reason? Because he taught himself English? Because he has two fluency disorders: a severe stutter with secondary behaviors and cluttering speech? Gambling on stream means you deserve xenophobia and ableist jokes?
Would racism against Kai Cenat be justified? He promotes gambling too and even has a promotional code which gives him a percentage directly from his fan’s gambling losses. Mizkif has a similar deal with DraftKings. Promo code and all. Fan’s gambling losses -> Kai and Mizzy Wizzy’s pockets. xQc turned down hundreds of millions of dollars because he thought codes were unethical.
One gets extreme hate and zero nuance, the others? Meh. Who cares? How could Drew conveniently just “forget” about Kai Cenat (the biggest streamer on Twitch right now) literally promoting his code during his subathon while keeping Adin Ross in the thumbnail when Adin quit gambling a while ago and might be leaving Kick soon? It doesn’t make any sense. Unless… There’s bias?
gambling is by far one of the hardest addictions to deal with since it's purely mental. My mother was unfortunately one that succumb to the disease and passed away a few years ago via suicide. I really believe gambling ads should be regulated more than just "play responsibly".
That doesn't actually make sense, how would it be a harder addiction because it's purely mental? All addictions are mental to a degree. Addiction is an obsessive compulsive disorder. Wouldn't drugs actually be a harder addiction because it's mental and physical?
@@SicilianAmericanDreamsi don’t know if any addiction is the “hardest” but i think they mean it’s merely mental because there’s no physiological change because of the gambling, whereas things like alcohol and drugs can numb or even excite the body. but with the gambling there’s no fear of OD’ing and dying so people can sort of wave away the affects of it because they assume they can win it all back if they keep going.
@@comradepeggyhill9085 Plus you're not usually putting yourself in a dangerous situation to gamble, especially online. Gambling is even more costly than normal addictions IMO, because it doesn't require you to get high or endanger your life, you can just continue to gamble while seeming to function normally.
The point is, it doesn’t cause the obvious harm to the body that drug addiction can, so it’s easier to hide it from other people.
I'm very sorry for what your mother went through. Hope you're doing okay.
genuinely i think this is the most impactful video youve made yet. not to minimize the good things that came from past videos- comedy can be life changing for people and offer such relief. but wow reading these comments...these arent the experiences you hear about and it is so deeply upsetting. ive read a lot of comments from people who decided tp quit because of this video. legitamitely this video alone has almost definitely saved multiple lives and will continue to do so. im really glad this video already has over a million views in 12 hours and i hope it continues to grow.
This video is fantastic!!!
25:44 "everyone around you" being described as "celebrities and streamers" is the most horrifyingly concise description of modern society.
Post modernism
I'm so happy we're finally having this conversation. My mom has been struggling with her gambling addiction since 2018 and we've lost so much money. And it's the fact that they'll send her emails and junk mail and now there's slot apps I just get so worried. Because she's been doing so much better. I just don't want her to lose all her progress because all these gambling apps are coming out now.
best of luck to your family, make sure to be there to support her and show here just how good life can be!
I just realized I’ve lost $500 sports gambling over the last few weeks and I didn’t even realize it. I’ve been making about 4-5 $10 bets
Luckily I won $300 one week and I won $80 another so my loses only ended up being about $120 but thank you for this wake up call Drew.
I was so casually losing money I didn’t even realize it and it was starting to get out of hand
Good on you to have this level of self reflection. Proud of you and good luck on your journey forward ❤
Its almost like a monthly Netflix fee you just never think of cancelling lol
Damn, it's scary to see how this kind of habit can sneak up on you. I'm so grateful that you had this realization before the addiction sucked you in. Losing $500 in a few weeks without hardly noticing is chilling. 😨
320$ for one spin and losing 1mio$???? I would fcking lose my shit if i would spent 320$ for one fuxking spin....Even 5$ is too much, could get food for it instead 😂
Its insane to me that drew gooden went from making prostate exam jokes on vine to creating incredibly revealing commentaries on insane modern problems in a way thats entertaining and funny. Fuck I love this guy
2:30 the guy from that Kendrick Lamar song 😭
i forgot about him 💀
Tickled meeeee 😂😂
Was going to say the same 😭
Drake, the famous singer and rapper
omg i love that song
I wrote my college thesis about the impact of micro transactions in games like madden on children, and how it creates gambling addicts using the base of ripping a pack. It’s gambling at its most basic form. And now there are ads for REAL gambling in those games, let alone the sports themselves. As someone that was in this situation until he was broke it’s straight up disgusting to see these companies target college age kids so strongly. It’s sad.
Out of curiosity do you have the name of it if it’s publicly available, it sounds like an interesting read
Let’s not forget the commercialisation of collectibles.
I play the pokemon trading card game and it sucks that scalpers have bought out entire stores of their cards just so they can increase in value.
There are Reddits dedicated to documenting the values of cards and celebrating people who find chase cards, and it’s so depressing.
That would be amazing to read!
@@marksmidt8225 it is not but I can try to find it!
Thanks for making this video! Genuinely stuff like this does not get talked about. Also it’s so cool reading everyone’s comments and their experiences. I legit come from gambling addicts. My great grandpa on my dad’s side was addicted to betting on horse races. He’d come home so excited about winning five dollars even though he spent a hundred. My grandpa on my mom’s side literally had to change his name to hide from the police and the mafia due to his illegal bookkeeping and gambling. This ruins lives. It’s horrible how these companies are able to package life long addictions into pretty packages and advertise it to young people. I’d say smoking/vaping and alcohol easily falls into the same category.
I live in Argentina. My sister is a teacher. Kids are gambling in class and are in absolute DENIAL that they have an addiction. Definitely doesn't help that their favorite streamers and atheletes are sponsored by gambling sites, and also the fact that at least in my country, the previous gens used physical money and you were able to see how money disappeared from your hand. Kids nowadays don't use physical money and I definitely believe they don't fully grasp the concept of losing it
I remember one former coc*ine addict who said he'd never seen people lose everything they had because they did a single line, but he had seen gambling addicts lose everything they had in 5 minutes. It's a horrible addiction and so overlooked because the "physical" effects are not obvious like with drugs or alcohol
im brazilian, there’s a guy in my class who’s ALWAYS gambling
I live in Argentina too, I've not personally seen anyone gamble in sports, except for the one time me and a friend gambled a single coin in a sports game (I won), but I've seen it in the news, it's terrible. That drug addict is absolutely right, gambling is one of the most dangerous addictions out there.
As someone who works in a casino, i genuinely believe gambling should be illegal. at the LEAST, advertising it should be.
I've seen plenty working there and I can't view sports gambling as anything other than extremely harmful and embarrassing.
I worked a casino and the vast, vast majority are just people going out for a night with their friends, paying money to have a good night and not expecting to win. Its like banning alcohol because of alcoholics.
@@andrewniconand even then, alcohol is a tangible substance you can ban. You could bet on an offshore app stupid easy before it technically became legal in many states. In a pre internet age, it was a hell of a lot easier to ban. As long as other counties have other laws, it's nearly impossible now.
Where I've grown up in Australia sportbetting was really normalized up until recently when people began to realize how it was supercharging gambling addictions. When i was in school we would do footy tipping as a class activity where every student would predict the outcome of every australian football league match. By the time i was 16 many of my friends were avid gamblers, in Australia reportedly 1 in 5 teenagers has admitted to sports betting, and we were all still underage. Now I'm heading into my early 20s and I already have friends that spend every night at the pokies or only call me up to borrow money. Gambling is a huge problem and the way it is advertised as a quick, feel good way to make money makes me furious.
Lol we have company-hosted gambling events for the Melbourne cup, and other events. Catered food and everything just to bring betting into the workplace. It's kind of insane.
Sounds like it sucks big time man. Unfortunate to see this happening to our society, people literally become homeless, lose families and their lives because of this cancer
Haven't gambled once in my life and I constantly get sportsbet adverts. So annoying
@@DWgic Except betting on the Melbourne Cup has been a tradition for at least 100 years. Until the last 40 or so years for the vast majority of Australians the only time in their lives the only time they made a bet was on the Melbourne Cup.
As much as I hate horse racing its not a major factor in the modern problem of gambling. Not to say it isn't a problem but the gambling apps, pokies everywhere and the explosion of casinos in every major city has contributed more.
LOL
if an ad needs a HOTLINE included in it, it shouldn’t be an ad!!
omg THANK YOU for talking about this. i feel like i'm going crazy watching the people i love on RUclips promoting this shit. the gambling industry is so corrupt and fucked up and it makes me so sad how little people seem to care. it's like the opioid epidemic in that they KNOW the addiction is there and that they're fucking lives up, but they're raking it in so they turn a blind eye. makes me so so sad. thanks drew.
Out of curiosity, which RUclipsrs have you seen promoting these apps? I've seen a lot of ads for gambling apps, but not sponsorships paid directly to the creators.
@@Savanna-e9m Years back PhillyD did Draftkings. Which always confused me because he has done stories on sports betting ruining lives. Maybe the irony was too much for him after a while
They knew the addiction was there during the opioid epidemic, too. That's what the lawsuit was about
lmao the drake disses are INCREDIBLE
I can't believe he did that 😭 I almost died laughing and was even better because my Dad just happened to walk by and heard that so the look on his face was PRICELESS 😂😂😂
Somehow I tuned out halfway through this video and now I have $5,000 parlay on hawk tuah girl hitting the gritty during Kendricks halftime performance
I'm from the UK, gambling addiction is way more widespread than you'd think, but there's only one dedicated gambling addiction rehab centre in the country. It's the addiction epidemic that no one really talks about.
I get the argument of personal responsibility, but there's a fine line between letting people make their own decisions and letting people get exploited due to an addiction.
The money-centric and individualistic nature of American society makes it the perfect market for exploitative companies to make money at YOUR expense.
The best way to gamble responsibly is to not gamble.
Well said, mate. Had a friend commit su * * ide because of a gambling addiction. Proper sad stuff.
@@aye3678 very common especially among young men sadly
Exactly-- and it's the American dream to blame "personal responsibility" (or lack thereof) but it's a failure of society, not individuals, when it is so easy to exploit THAT many people.
It is the same here in Australia, I think we sure the same "culture" around gambling as people need to "have a punt" while watching the footy or cricket.
i was literally SEARCHING for this comment like betting is so ingrained in our culture imo like literally sky sports hosts are the ones in the ads theres bookies always at walking distance like ive never thought abt it twice. Along with like at least two fruity machines in every pub bc they’re praying on drunk ppl
I am 18 years old, and I have a gambling addiction. I have an addiction to spending egregious amounts of money on gacha games, and while it isn't quite the same as slot machines or sports betting, it is almost equally as terrible in my opinion. It sucks that even though I understand that i need to stop and save my money, the irrational part of my brain (the dopamine rush-addicted part) sometimes takes over and I have to watch as I throw my college savings into the garbage, unable to stop myself. I have been making some progress recently, but I am worried that the addiction will start up again full force when I least expect it due to the constant advertising of these apps😭 it truly is an illness and it sucks that gambling is perpetuated as a "silly game" when it can be so, so devastating to people's lives. Thank you for talking about this
I was 17 when Mine started on cs cases years ago bro. I never knew I was hooked after pulling a gut knife worth around $200 (still $200 these days) but after watching this video, I know that’s where It started
If you’re not going to stop immediately at this moment, I’d consider setting limits on everything that you can. Maybe stop the gatchas now tho because that hook is something I never got
Thank you for sharing your story. I hope you find healing, friend ❤️🩹
Delete the gacha games, remove yourself from the fandom that are tied to those games, mute every word or name related to the game. You can do it.
Oh gosh I'm so sorry.... gacha games are definitely gambling too and I see how that could get hard :(
avg pjsk player
on a srs note delete that gameeee i know i did
I am an addict and have attended support groups for some of my afflictions. I’ve been addicted to gambling at points and lost a heck of a lot of money on it, and at one support group someone shared the crux of why a gambling addiction is worse to them than drugs, alcohol etc. they shared that every affliction they’ve experienced with their addictions have led them to breaking point and sometimes over it, but through all the trouble and struggles, gambling is the only one that ever made them feel clever. It’s an addiction that can give the person, within a real, sober mind, reason and understanding, and within the addiction the same exact feeling. It’s a dangerous addiction and luckily within the UK things are beginning to move to help people that are struggling and take away the power from casinos and online betting companies. In the end and as always, stay strong if you also struggle from this affliction✊
right back atcha! :D
that's so well put by them, thanks for sharing that
If this was still Amanda's channel, this video wouldve been about the neopets auction house. Which I'd have preferred
My mum's friend's 16yo son bet on soccer with her money and once won 3k zł. Instead of being worried about him possibly being addicted to gambling (which - let's be honest - he is at this point and he lost money before) at such a young age, she was "proud". It made both me and my mum feel kinda sick about all of this. Not only is he still a teenager and it's illegal for him to even play, but he's got ADHD, so he's more likely to get addicted. It sucks.
I'm so glad you made this video- I thought I've just been going insane with the amount of gambling ads I get while I have Spotify playing in the background. It all just gives me such a gross feeling. If I hear Ryan Seacrest say "I definitely play Chumba Casino and you guys should too" one more time, I might just make a pact with an Eldritch being to end the world.
Spotify ads for gambling are particularly revolting to me as I'm frequently listening while unable to skip the ads (riding my bike, working, etc.). The absolute hell of having to listen to an ad for a business that is actively and knowingly destroying people's lives is just so sick.
All I ever seem to hear nowadays while listening to music on SoundCloud is that damned Chumba Casino ad, only interrupted occasionally by Ryan Reynolds talking about phone plans and the economy sucking ass.
Hey, if you ever want Spotify without the ads, there are some APKs out there that help you get around some,,, monetary requirements :)
@@bluejay43 LITERALLY. I can't catch a break without being blasted by laundry detergent, internet plans, or gambling. What a waste of audio
youtube to mp3
i love dew grooden
Dern goggins
Danny brown
@KwassaKwassa_ nah not him
Dteq Giidon
Door Greeting
As a massive fan of Sea In The Sky, I was shocked to see Drew Gooden's name show up on my Spotify recommended. I absolutely love Cascade and I'm so happy you got to collab with Sam like that. I would love to see more with y'all together!
I've been sports betting for 10+ years now. I started when I was broke in University. In my first month, I turned $20 into $2,000.
It was the single worst thing that could have ever happened to me. While I'm probably close to even over the last 10 years (which is a miracle on its own), I still very much consider myself a problem gambler now.
If you're at all curious about getting into it - please do not.
hope you get the help you need and get over it brother ❤
congrats on recovering and good luck, I can’t imagine how hard it is.
is it one of those “when you start, you cant stop” addictions, where it’s better to never even try the thing (like cigarettes) ?
I hope you're doing alright, dude. Hang in there and stay strong, we're all rooting for you 🫂addiction is no joke.
People truly don’t understand how hard it is to not lose money sports betting. It’s another societal problem that would probably be much easier to solve if we could zoom out and show the bigger picture every time.
I noticed I was going down the wrong path and so I’ve pivoted to paper betting; I still get to enjoy the process and analyze statistics and stuff but I’m not losing money in the process. I don’t think I’ll start outting money down until I’ve at least got a strong model, even then it still would feel slimy
@@milly- I think it's more like alcohol. Smoking is much more addictive than alcohol, and I would say more people have a healthy relationship with drinking than smoking. I know a lot of people that bet on sports without it ruining their lives, like I know a lot of people that drink without it ruining their lives. But that doesn't mean you can't become addicted, especially if you fall on hard times. Whether it is worth it to take on that risk is up to you.
I've bet on sports for a long time, but my bets have always been a dollar, and I haven't added money into my account in 5 years. To make betting safe is to make it boring, which is why most people don't do what I do. After the advent of the internet, the genie is forever out of the bottle tho. It was stupid easy to legally bet offshore before it was technically legalized. The best we can do now is regulate the delivery method and advertising.
Tony Soprano is the only TV character I’ve seen struggle with a realistic gambling addiction. The scene where he flips out at Carm because she wouldn’t let him bet 100K more on a horse race that he won is so pertinent
Cunnilingus and psychiatry got us to this
I recently watched an old French movie called Bay of Angels that got it so right. The characters are all deluding themselves into thinking they have a "system" and are lying to themselves about having it under control. The woman admits that she has been divorced, lost custody of her son, and sometimes has to sleep on a bench outside when she has gambled all her money away. Great movie.
One of my favourite book series, Six of Crows, has a character who has a serious gambling addiction, he almost loses his fathers farm and I think the way the author portrays it as and itch and needing to play 'just one game' is incredibly realistic and really well written
Sopranos is so good at capturing the horrible reality of unchecked narcissism. Another that comes to mind is how Tony doesn’t really care that Vito was gay towards the end of the show but has to act like it’s a big deal to him to stay “traditional”- self admitting the absurdity of it but being so desperate to cling to surrounding expectations as to not seem like a fool. Willing to throw a person *he doesn’t even have a problem with* away because he didn’t want to potentially be laughed at for mildly challenging a status quo.
Usually in TV shows or movies I see interesting characters like this and go “man I’d love to psychoanalyze this person” but actually making a show where virtually the whole point is a psychoanalytic case study is so interesting. Certainly leaves a huge impression given how much I think about it all these years later. Incredible show
I had a guy get extremely drunk at my work then spend 20 minutes trying to convince me to make a new sports betting app. (For context, I'm a game developer.) He kept going on about how much money I could make if it's a good one can just couldn't grasp the concept that I didn't want to do that. Legit had to explain to him that I feel uncomfortable exploiting people and that, besides, I already know what I want to do.
His friend then proceeded to throw up outside and while it's not relevant, it really hit home on the frat boy vibes they were giving off.
As someone who makes games, I'll admit I've had the intrusive thought of "if I just made a crypto slots machine..." But then I snap myself out of it. I need the money, sure - but I'm not about to take it from people who need help
Thank you for choosing not to exploit people. It feels insane that so many people just don't care at all about taking advantage of others.
I love the posters you have behind you with the Avatar locations. Looked them up to find more like them, my girlfriend and I have been looking for minimalist nerdy posters. Great video!
Im glad someone is talking about this because in the past 8 months or so, all of my coworkers have become addicted to just casually gambling in apps on their phones, and its really disturbing to me. Not necessarily the gambling or gaming part, but the idea that we're on our lunch break, I'm eating a ham sandwich, a Joe over here is trading his kids college fund over for another spin on an imaginary slot machine on his iphone...
Münecat did a similar video essay about kick streamers advertising gambling, and how a lot of these casinos are registered in small island nations that offer HUGE breaks for them.
Everyone needs to watch that video
Sadly there isn't a way to invest in those casinos that are registered in small island nations, otherwise they'd be a great way to get around the unfortunate problem of the massive taxes on US gambling companies.
^^ so happy to see this comment. Münecat is awesome!
Bizarrely, the long running BBC show Midsomer Murders has a really heartfelt episode about the insidious nature of gambling apps. The part about reeling the suffering 'customers' back in after they try to stop gambling, because they lost so much money.. horrifyingly realistic. And unexpected, for a show with plot points such as 'my wife ran the car off the road because she saw a ghost' and 'promising teenage pianist almost dies by falling gargoyle'
I think crime shows often do a reasonable-ish job of politely pointing to the outcomes of societal harms.
Shame our governments aren't so responsible.
I can’t believe you didn’t use Midsomer plots like “man bludgeoned to death with a machine rigged to fling his own wine bottle collection at him while he is staked to the ground in his backyard” or “eaten by pigs after being covered in truffle oil”
I love Midsomer Murders for those kinds of episodes. They hit the spot with heavy and important topics surprisingly well for a crime show sometimes.
(and I love them for the bad ones and the fact that AT LEAST two people must die per episode. AT LEAST.)
@@thebadpoetOr people killed and posed according to folk song lyrics - like the guy next to the bowl of fresh eggs and live eels (the song from that episode ia great though)
don’t forget death by chocolate
Bless you Mr. Gooden for being aware of the side effects and impact your influence has on your audience. This influencer era is brewing mass psychosis for realz for realz. But actually, good work.
Hi, Drew. I usually never comment on any videos and I don't think you'll see this comment, but I wanted to thank you for making this. I'm a teenager, and I've never had firsthand experience with gambling, so I've never seen the worst of any addictions. But the part of the video where you showed the gambling stream with the guy who lost all this money genuinely made me feel dread in my stomach. For the past couple months, I've had a lot of classmates and coworkers talk to me about sports gambling because it was just legalized in my state. It's kind of scary because all of them are teenagers who've already lost a bunch of money on the apps. But since it seemed like fun and I keep getting ads for these apps on Spotify and RUclips, I was considering a download. Now, I know I will not. So thank you for potentially saving me from a financial hole later on.
You seem like a smart and level headed kid. it’s good to hear about teenagers like you who are able to see past the manipulations that make it difficult for your generation to thrive.
Living in Nevada is so weird because gambling is so engrained in daily life here that it’s super easy to take for granted that pretty much no where else in the county is like this. There’s slot machines in grocery stores and gas stations and there’s casinos everywhere. Gaming revenue is a huge part of our state’s economy. I really feel for addicts who live here because it’s almost impossible to ignore it.
one of my most distinct memories was going to a denny’s in portland after moving there and noticing there were some video poker/slot type machines. just sitting in a denny’s. and that on its own struck us as super insidious.
yet somehow on our drive there passing through reno we never had that thought occur to us. it just felt way more normal cause we’ve normalized a lot of nevada being completely reliant on gambling
On the flip side having never lived in a state with legal slots when I’ve gone into gas stations in states that do and see the machines it feels wrong, to be a bit hyperbolic its like looking at the devil. Super inviting and flashy but you know its purpose built to ruin lives.
One of my close friends was considering moving to Reno and wanted to visit. He found a punk bar that he wanted to check out and was excited. We walked in and there were slot machines installed in the bar top. Up til that point I had been considering moving with him (we were roommates at the time). When I realized that even the counterculture spaces were still under the thumb of gambling, I knew it wasn't a place I could live. There are a lot of really cool things in Nevada and I've enjoyed all my visits there, but it's so hard to imagine living there if you have any sort of addiction or addictive tendencies whatsoever.
Grocery stores? GROCERY STORES?
23:43 not two drake disses 😭😭
one of the best videos i’ve seen recently. it was like watching an extremely well researched but incredibly interesting research paper. this is what video essays should be. it’s so fascinating to see drew grow as a content creator and create such important videos. keep it up man love u
the holes in the wall behind the big bass gambler add to the gambling induced delirium vibe