The Atlantic's April Cover: McKay Coppins on His Year as a Degenerate Gambler

"Practically overnight, we took an ancient vice-long regarded as soul-rotting and civilizationally ruinous-put it on everyone's phone, and made it as normal and frictionless as checking the weather. What could possibly go wrong?"

"The magazine would cover any losses, and-to ensure my ongoing emotional investment-split any winnings with me, 50-50. Surely God would approve of such an arrangement, my editors reasoned, because I wouldn't be risking my own hard-earned money."

McKay Coppins investigates America's sports-betting epidemic by personally gambling $10,000 over the 2025 NFL season with special religious permission. Despite never betting before due to Mormon beliefs, he received his bishop's approval for reporting purposes. Throughout his wins and losses, Coppins examines how legalized phone-based gambling has transformed an ancient vice into a frictionless, normalized activity accessible to everyone. He consults with betting expert Nate Silver and interviews professional bettors, threatened athletes, politicians seeking regulation, recovering addicts, and gambling company executives. The piece explores how gambling has historically existed in sports but remained heavily regulated until recently, contrasting past restrictions with today's unrestricted digital accessibility.

Read at The Atlantic