The NFL kicks off gambling season

Also: AI and living, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Alaska drilling news.   Thursday, September 7, 2023: Hey readers, Missed me? It’s [Izzie Ramirez](, and here’s what we’re following today: Up first: The rise of gambling. In other news: Biden cancels Alaska oil and gas leases, what AI tells us about animals and ourselves, and Elon Musk’s latest controversy. See you in your inbox tomorrow.   UP FIRST How America became a nation of gamblers [A clean shaven white main in a silver tie and a judge's black robe gestures with his left hand, sitting between US and Georgia flags. Above his head, on a wood paneled wall, is the seal of the state of Georgia.]( Allie Sullberg for Vox States have made it easier than ever to gamble. From mobile gaming apps to the rise in sports gambling, is the government ready for what happens next? Maybe not. Health reporter Dylan Scott breaks down [what allowed for this perfect storm](. The lowdown: The government, especially state and local governments, allows gambling in part because of the revenue it generates. More gambling equals more money in government coffers. - It’s not just casinos anymore. Gambling is now endorsed by cultural institutions that used to frown upon it, like the NFL. Even ESPN [licensed]( its name to a gambling group. - That’s not to say casinos aren’t still going strong. There are [roughly 1,000 casinos]( across the US. After the Supreme Court blessed sports betting in 2018, more than 30 states approved plans to establish a legal sports gambling sector. - Gambling can ruin lives, but there’s little government support for those with a problem. The US spends [about $1 per capita on treatment for problem gambling]( for every $320 it spends on substance abuse treatment. The stakes: Unfortunately, it’s hard to measure how many casual gamblers — those who might bet once in a blue moon — will go on to gamble too much to the detriment of their finances, relationships, and work. But researchers in Massachusetts [concluded]( last year that there was some evidence, locally and nationally, of a recent uptick in problem gamblers in the wake of the industry’s expansion. Those findings seem to support concerns that easy access to gambling will mean easy access to gambling addictions. Other countries with large gambling industries also struggle with limiting addiction; in the UK, roughly 36,000 children are believed to be problem gamblers, and about 8 percent of that nation’s deaths by suicide are linked to gambling. “Governments have an obligation to balance the right of individuals to do what they please with their money with the responsibility to mitigate the associated harms,” Dylan writes. “The US has embraced the former but neglected the latter, and there is little financial incentive to change. In gambling parlance, the country has become overleveraged on legal gambling — and needs a better hedge.” [Read Dylan’s full piece here.](   NEXT UP AI and how we live, explained [A slice of light from above illuminates a bearded man's face as he gazes upward, computer monitors full of red and green stock data buzzing behind him.]( Asya Demidova for Vox Artificial intelligence has ramifications beyond work and efficiency — it can change how we think about each other and the world around us. Here’s what you need to know: - Silicon Valley’s vision for AI is just religion repackaged. That’s because a lot of the excitement about building a superintelligent machine comes down to recycled religious ideas about life after death. Most secular technologists who are building AI just [don’t recognize that](, writes Sigal Samuel. - From books to movies, our stories say a lot about how we feel about AI and robots. Our metaphorical obsession [with AIs that love us]( is becoming quite literal, explains Alissa Wilkinson. On the flip side, [our fear of robots]( indicates what we worry about when it comes to our humanity, argues Constance Grady. - What if AI treats humans the way we treat animals? Marina Bolotnikova posits that AI threatens the quality that many believe has made [humans unique: intelligence](. - We already rely on AI to find love. [Next up: using it to soften the blow of death](, Tahmima Anam writes.   PRESS PLAY Did the Cold War ever end? Historian Calder Walton explains why we need to rethink how we talk about the Cold War, and offers a new way to look at the US's current antagonistic relationship with Russia and China. [Listen now ▶](   AROUND THE WEB - Another hurricane barrels toward the Caribbean. Hurricane Lee has the potential to become a Category 5 storm, thanks to record-breaking warm ocean temperatures. [CNN]( - Biden to cancel seven oil and gas leases in Alaska issued by the Trump administration. The sale, the Biden administration says, was legally flawed. [[The Guardian](] - New state abortion numbers show increases in interesting places — including Illinois and New Mexico. Both states enacted laws to protect access to abortions, but they’re also geographically close to states with bans. [NPR]( - Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner head toward divorce. The Jonas brother and Game of Thrones star say they have “mutually decided to amicably end” their marriage. [NBC News](    [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   MORE READS FROM VOX [Bonuses are a little bogus]([Elon Musk’s strange new feud with a Jewish anti-hate group, explained]( [The lawsuits seeking to keep drag queens legal, explained]( [Oh no, it’s iPhone upgrade season]([Today’s crossword](   ONE LAST THING Enjoying the Sentences newsletter? Forward it to a friend so they can [sign up for it right here](. 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