The Friends of the University Library begin the 2025/2026 Charles Martell Author Lecture Series with historian Jonathan D. Cohen, author of Losing Big: Inside America’s Preventable Sports-Gambling Debacle.
Cohen’s timely and thought-provoking book examines the dramatic rise of legalized sports betting in the United States following the 2018 Supreme Court decision that allowed states to regulate it independently. Since then, nearly forty states have legalized sports gambling, creating an industry valued at over $121 billion annually, surpassing what Americans spend on movies and video games combined.
But behind the flashy advertisements and user-friendly mobile apps lies in a growing public health crisis. In Losing Big, Cohen explores how sportsbook companies have influenced legislation to prioritize profits over protections, and how addiction, particularly among young men, has become a widespread but under-addressed issue. Through vivid storytelling and rigorous research, he reveals the human cost of this booming industry and offers a roadmap for reform.
This lecture will enlighten attendees to consider the intersection of policy, profit, and public health, and to rethink the future of sports gambling in America.
DATE: Thursday, October 30, 2025
TIME: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Zoom, subtitles will be available
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/3VzLstl
Further information and interviews
- NPR: New Book Explores Rise of Sports Betting in the US and the Growing Backlash
- CNBC: Squawk Box, America’s Affair with Betting
- CSPAN: BookTV, Losing Big
This event will have subtitles, to request additional accommodations such as ASL interpretation, please contact lib-events@csus.edu by Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
We look forward to seeing you.