The billion dollar business of gambling addiction | DW Documentary

The number of sports betting sites exploded during the coronavirus pandemic. This business, which relies on people with a gambling addiction, is legally all above board. But the sites are run by international companies that employ controversial methods. How can this billion-dollar business, whose influence extends into the worlds of sport and politics, be stopped? The sports betting sector generates huge revenues and profits by exploiting some of the weakest members of society. With impunity. Around 37 million Euros worth of bets are placed every day in Europe. The market has grown 40-fold over the past 20 years. This success isn’t a fad, but the result of a perfidious marketing strategy. Various platforms deluge the public sphere with betting incentives for every major sporting event: Continuous advertising loops, omnipresence on social networks, sponsorship of sports programs and football clubs, collaboration with sports stars and influencers. More and more people are becoming addicted to gamblin