“Has Gambling Gone Too Far?”: Presented by Jonathan D. Cohen

If it feels like gambling is suddenly everywhere, that’s because it is. From sports betting and prediction markets to cryptocurrency and fast-moving investment platforms, gambling has gained a new prominence in American life. The consequences are already here, from financial harm and addiction–especially among young men–to athletes caught betting on their own performance. But the availability of gambling, and its place in American culture, will only grow in the coming years. How much gambling is too much? How will companies or the government know when gambling has gone too far? When creating gambling policy, how should states and individuals weigh personal responsibility against consumer protection? Jonathan D. Cohen, leader of gambling policy for the American Institute for Boys and Men, will unpack possible answers to these questions. He is the author of Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling (2025) and For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America (2022). His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other publications. Before joining AIBM, he served as a senior program officer at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and as a financial writer and editor at Tiger Capital Group. He earned his doctorate in history from the University of Virginia. Cohen’s lecture is presented as the 2026 Edward S. and A. Rita Schmidt Lectureship in Ethics. Generously funded by Edward R. Schmidt ’69, this lecture brings distinguished scholars and leaders to Susquehanna to address contemporary ethical issues and foster meaningful discussions among students, faculty and the community.