I would like to draw your attention to the series of criminal charges against Ippei Mizuhara. While reading, I was struck by something not far from pity. This may be a strange feeling for a man accused of stealing $16 million from someone who trusted him completely, but just look at him.
- On January 2, 2022, Mr. Mizuhara asked bookmakers to increase their betting credit limits due to a “bump,” or loss limit. “Do you want to reload your account? I lost everything.”
- On January 15, Mr. Mizuhara again asked for an increase in credit. “Damn, I lost everything (lol)…can you listen to me?” [BOOKMAKER 1] What if he can hit me with 50,000? If he loses it, it will be his last for a while. ”
- It wasn’t the last of him for a while. On March 6, Mr. Mizuhara wrote, “Anyway, could you please give me a little bump? If you don’t mind, I’ll send you the loss on Wednesday. I’ll have to wait a week before sending another big wire.”
- On November 14th, Mizuhara said, “I’m not good at this sports betting thing, right? (LOL)…Is there a possibility that we’ll bump into each other again??You know, I’m worried that I haven’t paid the money.” There’s no need!!” he wrote.
- On December 9th, Mizuhara said, “Can I hit you 200 times one last time? I swear to my mother that this is my last request before I pay you back when I get back to America. I’m sorry for asking you so many times…” wrote.
- On June 22, 2023, Mizuhara said, “I got my butt kicked again (lol)…Is there a chance for one last shot? If I lose, this will be my last for a while…” wrote.
- The next day, June 23rd: “I’m the worst lol… I can’t take a break… Can I bump it one last time? I swear this will be the last time until my balance drops significantly” I promise you this will be our last clash for a while.”
- The next day, June 24th: “I have a problem (lol)…can I have one last time?” This is real…the last one is real.”
Just to be clear, Mizuhara reportedly placed an average of 25 bets per day, with an average stake of around $13,000.That wasn’t enough. He needed more, so he begged for more money (perhaps a noun choice that is aptly associated with other vices), begged and bargained for just a little more, and literally asked his mother to do this. was willing to swear that this would happen. lastly. Does this sound familiar? If gambling addiction is a more personal struggle than other commonly recognized forms of addiction, it manifests itself in much the same way.
Gambling addiction is Every point is like a neurochemical It’s similar to drug addiction, even though it’s sending rewards out of your body.something like 1% of Americans That means there are 3 million people walking around who are potentially wired like Ippei Mizuhara. And their vulnerability is treated like a demographic to market to. Legalized sports betting has washed over the American sports experience like a wave, soaking the willing and the unmotivated and drowning the unlucky. Many of them may never have known they were problem bettors if they didn’t have the stakes in their pockets.
Suwon’s case is different, and it’s safe to say that DraftKings will never extend his credit until the $40 million hole is filled. this is true. But addicts have another way to feed the beast. Maybe they steal money from their friends. Perhaps they will steal money from strangers. Perhaps they will sell all their belongings or stop paying rent. Gambling is a particularly vicious vice. Because, unlike drinking or drugs, you can tell yourself that once you get lucky, you’ll be back on track. People addicted to opioids don’t try to convince themselves that taking more pills might cure the problem forever. Bettors believe it every day. And some people who had never gambled in their lives until they became saturated with gambling app ads found that the thrills and fluctuations of legalized gambling were no longer big enough for them, and Suwon They will go to illegal bookmakers like Mr.
With the app, it’s so easy to get drawn in even deeper. Release new promotions and odds boosts at random times throughout the day to keep users open to your app forever. (FanDuel, which tracks this, says yesterday he opened it 5 times, and this morning he already opened it 2 times.) It’s a terrible thing to say about betting, but it gamifies the experience. Bet on a certain loss. They have you and don’t want to let you go. last month, seven of America’s largest gambling companies announced they are joining together to launch an association to encourage responsible gaming. Together they are funding just $20 million.
I’m one of those people who never gambled until it was legalized in my state. I started small and simple. A base moneyline bet of $2 was my standard wager. Add a little spice to your game watching experience. Now it’s up to $5 or he’s a $10 bet, but I’m betting on a parlay that I know is terrible odds. They also bet on games they don’t watch or sports they don’t follow. It’s no longer a spice. It’s a meal. I’m not very happy with this behavior. But I haven’t gotten into any trouble yet, so I tell myself I can quit if I want to. Isn’t that nostalgic too?
You don’t hear about things like this because no one wants to talk about their demons and unlike more visible forms of addiction, problem gamblers cannot be identified at a glance. The documentary evidence of Mr. Mizuhara’s addiction spiral provides a rare insight into the thinking and behavior of millions of Americans, a number that will only grow as legal gambling becomes more widespread. It’s ugly. It doesn’t seem so ugly that America, as a country, has deemed it inevitable. I don’t support banning gambling. But at the same time, there is at least some backlash against the tsunami of careless gambling advertising that treats every potential victim as a customer, and against a culture that announces at every turn how much it cares about money rather than people. I wish there was.
