McKay Coppins on sports betting for Latter-day Saints | Episode 457
Summary
Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins, a practicing Latter-day Saint, recounts his experience gambling $10,000 on sports to investigate the industry’s addictive nature. He discusses how the activity quickly invaded his personal life, causing stress and family tension, and highlights the lack of recent church counsel on this growing vice. Coppins also addresses the moral ambiguity young men feel regarding sports betting versus traditional gambling, noting that he ultimately lost nearly all his money and signed a self-exclusion form to stop.
Topics discussed
Introduction and Patreon sponsorship
Church stance on gambling and the assignment
The $10,000 experiment and bishop's counsel
The scale of the US sports betting industry
First bets and the thrill of gambling
LDS youth and the distinction between betting and gambling
The illusion of winning and statistical reality
Impact on family life and the BYU game incident
Signs of addiction and compulsive behavior
Dopamine rewiring and loss of enjoyment in sports
Need for church counsel and cultural shift
Prediction markets, regulation, and moral neutrality
Gambling culture at BYU and campus tour
Final tally, Super Bowl loss, and self-exclusion
Tithing on winnings and closing remarks
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