The Odds Against Us

What happens when someone who lived through gambling's grip turns around and spends his life fighting it? In this episode of The Odds Against Us, host Connor talks with Charles Ahern IV, a former gambler turned preventionist and Project Coordinator at Stop Predatory Gambling.Charles opens up about his own experience with gambling and the path that led him from teaching and coaching into full-time advocacy. From there, he and Connor get into why the industry calls it "problem gambling" while advocates call it predatory, how 24/7 mobile access and microbetting mirror the reinforcement schedules of slot machines, and where the line between gaming and gambling has quietly disappeared. Charles also breaks down the conflict of interest baked into a system where the government profits from the gambling it's supposed to regulate, and much more!

In Episode 1 of The Odds Against Us, Connor Huynh is joined by Ben Spooner, a prevention specialist with the Education Development Center and the Massachusetts Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling Prevention.The conversation explores how gambling is viewed through a public health lens, the rapid rise of sports betting, and what these changes mean for youth exposure. They also discuss how gambling platforms are designed to keep users engaged, the growing overlap between gaming and gambling, and the challenges of preventing harm in an increasingly digital environment.This episode sets the foundation for understanding how gambling begins, why it’s so difficult to regulate, and what can be done to better protect young people.