CNBC SPECIAL: Generation Gamble Part 1
“Generation Gamble” provides an in-depth examination of the intersection of betting, trading and gaming, exploring what is at stake for everyone involved and how taking risks can be as easy as a tap on an app.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, online activity increased dramatically, leading Gen Z to reevaluate how it makes and uses money. CNBC’s Melissa Lee profiles avid college-aged users of online betting and investing apps illustrating their ease and willingness to take risks. Then, Lee travels to Boston, where she interviews the co-founders of DraftKings and discusses the rapidly growing popularity of sports betting as it becomes legalized around the country. The episode looks at other industries getting in on the action and what DraftKings is doing to promote responsible gambling among its users.
Lee explores the potential downsides of betting and investing behavior as well, through people dealing with addiction and the experts trying to treat them. With an estimated four million Americans suffering from compulsive gambling disorder, CNBC shows firsthand the potential dangers behind constant access.