S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone

Everyone remembers their first win. I remember mine.The chief of police of New Haven, Connecticut surely remembered his.  And in the twelve months that followed, he wagered $4.4 million on sports betting apps from the phone in his pocket.This is the story of Karl Jacobson's fall, told alongside my own 10-day descent into the same apps.  Come and see what Karl felt from the inside, and the devastating lesson I learned with him: the most dangerous part of gambling isn't losing.  It's winning.The App on the Phone is the new season from Tapes from the Darkside.For the first time, you can download/stream this episode as a lossless WAV file, the exact uncompressed quality I master it in.https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarksideIf you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential.Credits and SourcesEditing help by:
Troy Piano on Airgigs.comArchival audio & media* Karl Jacobson interview — Dateline New Haven, WNHH-LP FM (New Haven Independent community radio), 2022–2023* Karl Jacobson swearing-in remarks — [broadcaster/source to confirm]* New Haven Police Department press conference on the Jacobson charges — [broadcaster/source to confirm]* Duke vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game call — [network to confirm: CBS/TBS/TNT]* Sports betting advertisement (FanDuel/DraftKings promotional spot) — [advertiser to confirm]Reporting & court records* Arrest warrant affidavit, State of Connecticut v. Karl Jacobson, Connecticut State Police, February 2026* New Haven Independent (Thomas Breen reporting), 2026* University of New Haven, "Father and Daughter Share a Passion for Criminal Justice," December 2021Scientific & academic sources* Clark, L., et al. "Gambling Near-Misses Enhance Motivation to Gamble and Recruit Win-Related Brain Circuitry." Neuron, 2009.* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013 — reclassification of gambling disorder.* Nathan Novemsky, Yale School of Management — commentary on Connecticut sports-betting legalization.* Research on DRD2 Taq1A allele and addiction heritability; twin-study heritability estimates for gambling disorder.* U.S. sports betting market figures (American Gaming Association data, 2017–2024).Music* Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"* AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — from the album 1991. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com* 20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.comSpecial thank you to:Uncle Chris for his post credit contribution.