Whether having a flutter at Ffos Las or a cheeky bet on Wales to win the Six Nations (it could still happen!), gambling has become a largely inescapable part of modern sporting life. While many view it as harmless fun, in Jackpot, Guardian journalist Rob Davies pulls back the beaded curtain to expose the dubious tricks and relentless advertising techniques gambling companies use to entice their customers to roll the dice just one more time.
Through dressing losses up as wins, running VIP schemes that target their highest losing rather than biggest spending customers, or ignoring clear signs of gambling addiction in their most vulnerable members, Jackpot: How Gambling Conquered Britain exposes the dark underbelly of the UK betting scene. Writing persuasively, and with a forensic eye for detail, Davies never forgets the human toll of gambling addiction and intersperses the cold, hard statistics with intensely personal stories of individuals who have had their lives, relationships and bank accounts wiped out by betting.
Yet, despite the gravity of its subject, Davies steers away from delivering a priggish sermon by making Jackpot a surprisingly funny and endlessly fascinating read. It’s the sort of book you will find yourself quoting constantly – whether your nearest and dearest care that British gamblers lose £14 billion annually while Bet365’s CEO earned £421 million in 2020, or not.
Jackpot, Rob Davies (Faber)
Price: £14.99. Info: here
words RACHEL REES
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