Jonathan Cohen: "Add Friction" to the Super Bowl of Gambling - The Gist Recap

Podcast: The Gist

Published: 2026-02-05

Duration: 35 minutes

Guests: Jonathan Cohen, Conor Patrick Heffernan

Summary

Jonathan Cohen advocates for introducing 'friction' in sports gambling to curb reckless betting, especially during high-stakes events like the Super Bowl. This involves slowing down betting processes and imposing delays on deposits to prevent hasty decisions.

What Happened

Jonathan Cohen, author of 'Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling,' argues for reform in sports betting by adding 'friction' to the process. He suggests measures like delaying access to deposited funds and slowing down bet placements to deter impulsive gambling. Cohen highlights that while 60% of NFL bettors account for just 1% of sportsbook revenue, a troubling 1-2% of American adults have diagnosable gambling problems. This disparity points to a mix of responsible bettors and those at risk, requiring a nuanced approach to regulation.

Cohen criticizes the ease with which young adults can engage in prediction markets like Polymarket and Calci, which are largely unregulated compared to traditional sports betting platforms that require users to be 21 and older. He believes that the design features of these platforms make them particularly hazardous for impulsive gambling behaviors. The conversation also explores the appropriateness of allowing bets on trivial events, such as Czech table tennis, which can become high-stakes traps.

Conor Patrick Heffernan joins the episode to discuss the evolution of fitness culture, tracing the journey from the iconic Charles Atlas physique to Hollywood's embrace of bodybuilding. Heffernan emphasizes that the human body responds primarily to resistance rather than trends, highlighting a shift in fitness practices with more women participating due to cultural and legislative changes like Title IX.

The discussion touches on the historical roots of exercises like the hack squat and Romanian deadlift, which have origins linked to specific individuals or cultures. Heffernan's insights are based on his book 'When Fitness Went Global,' which examines how fitness ideals have transformed over time.

The episode addresses the decline of The Washington Post, noting its struggle to compete with The New York Times, which has successfully poached talent like David Fahrenholt and Adam Entis. This talent migration has contributed to the Times' dominance in serious nonfiction journalism, a field facing financial challenges in the 2026 attention economy.

Mike Pesca laments the economic pressures on serious journalism, highlighting how the public's diminishing interest in in-depth reporting affects the sustainability of outlets like The Post and The Times. The conversation underscores the brutal economics of maintaining high-quality journalism amidst shifting audience preferences.

Key Insights