The Title of this new Justice in America Network TV Special captures perfectly the insidious cycle of addiction. It describes the reality that for individuals dependent on sports betting , the first bet removes inhibitions and triggers intense cravings, while the subsequent 1,000 bets will never be enough to satisfy that urge.
Scientifically, one bet sets off a surge of dopamine in the brain, tagging betting as highly valuable and prompting the brain to demand more
Sports betting addiction is a clinically recognized behavioral disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to place wagers despite severe personal, financial, and psychological consequences. Because it triggers the brain’s dopamine reward system, it alters mood and decision-making in ways similar to substance abuse.
The surge in mobile sports betting and “in-play” or “micro-betting” has created unprecedented risks for addiction. Studies indicate that the rate of problem gambling among sports bettors is at least twice as high as among traditional gamblers.
Less than a decade ago, sports gambling was effectively outlawed throughout much of the United States. Now, it is legal in the vast majority of states, and has grown into an all-consuming part of the culture and identity of American athletics.
Television programs on broadcast networks like ESPN highlight betting lines, with commentators proposing attractive wagers. Individual athletes, who face league-imposed restrictions on their own bets, have signed lucrative deals to promote betting to the general public.
This dramatic change was made possible by a 2018 Supreme Court decision, Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. In Murphy, the court held that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)—a 1992 law that prevented states from legalizing sports gambling—violated the “anticommandeering rule” and was therefore unconstitutional. As a result, states were given back control of their own gambling laws, and many immediately made use of this allowance. Just seven years after Murphy, 39 states allow sports betting in some form.
In this new exclusive “Justice in America” Network TV Special, our news team sits down with Brent Coon and his legal team to discuss the legal strategies and some of the specific challenges and case hurdles this litigation faces, the legal issues they must prove, plus some of the unique aspects of these cases his team faces in court.
Brent Coon & Associates is leading a massive litigation against social media companies. The firm alleges that the companies intentionally designed their products/platforms to be addictive to young people using psychological tactics similar to casinos. The psychological manipulation designed by these companies caused severe mental and physical harm to young users.
Not only were these companies nefarious in their approach, but they were also fully aware of the damages their products were causing to developing young minds.
They allege that Sports betting giants—including DraftKings and FanDuel—utilize “dark patterns” and psychological triggers to convert casual bettors into compulsive gamblers.
They allege that these Sporting betting giants target heavily young men and college students who were targeted by aggressive, gamified marketing tactics.
The Big Problem is that these platforms allegedly use data analytics to identify “high-value” (addicted) users and offer them targeted bonuses to prevent them from stopping.
And as a result, some of these users suffer massive financial ruin, severe psychological distress, and the breakdown of family relationships as a direct result of “frictionless” betting features.
Brent and his team will share their legal strategies leveraging state laws to argue that “risk-free” bet promotions are deceptive and predatory.
For more information, Contact Brent Coon & Associates at https://www.bcoonlaw.com/ (409) 222-2222