Everyday decisions, from political outcomes to current events to celebrity drama, are increasingly gamified or financialized, thanks to sports betting practices spreading beyond the playing field. Prediction markets are quietly setting the tone for how customers expect to interact with brands, from Snapchat streaks to LinkedIn games to the McDonald's Monopoly Game. When it comes to more formal gambling, American Gaming Association's research shows that 57% of all American adults gambled in some form in 2025. While physical casinos were the leading channel, 21% participated in sports betting. 62% of Americans believe that gambling is "personally acceptable," which begs the question, is "casual" gambling set to become even more popular? And how is it impacting what captures customers' attention?
In any New York City subway car, take a look around and you'll notice many a straphanger passing their commute time with mobile gaming, some of which come with financial incentives. Customers are in constant engagement loops as gaming and gambling alike make bids for their attention from all angles. The prevalence of gamification in so many aspects of consumers' lives creates constant high-risk and high-reward situations, often with no real end. Two years ago, CCW Digital analyst Brooke Lynch published this article, asking if online sports betting platforms are protecting customers. She explores the tension between privacy and protection in online gambling. Both the customer service and gambling landscapes have changed massively since 2024, as evidenced by the prevalence of online betting platforms, along with mainstream advertisements for prediction markets plastered everywhere, particularly in professional athletic spaces.
The Responsible Online Gaming Association, or ROGA, is well aware of the potential risks associated with online gaming and gambling. In January 2026, ROGA launched Know Your Play with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC), Kindbridge Behavioral Health, and EPIC Global Solutions, which consults on gambling addiction. Aimed at college students and targeting financial literacy through in-person and online sessions, the Know Your Play campaign's launch indicates a changing attitude surrounding gambling. ROGA's executive director, Dr. Jennifer Shatley, explains, "College students are learning to navigate newfound financial independence, and equipping this age group with resources to make informed decisions that can build good financial habits will serve them throughout their lives, whether they engage in gaming or not." RGC CEO, Sarah McCarthy, adds that this initiative is "empowering young adults to approach gambling with a lower-risk mindset and [reducing] potential harm."
Customer trust often comes from knowing what to expect from an organization. When products are centered around quick, temporarily gratifying experiences, customers are hooked, but the consistency component is missing. The over-gamification of customer experiences can wear at trust, with points, streaks, and other urgency tactics leading consumers to question an organization's intent. Misuse of credibility, like opting for hero athlete spokespeople in the sports gambling world, can further erode consumer trust, lending a false sense of justice to an industry with questionable aims. When Brooke Lynch covered this topic in 2024, she posed the question of protection. In our age of instant gratification, supported by factors like next-day delivery, simple and instantaneous communication, and the globalization of our world, it's hard to place trust in any organization facilitating gambling or sports wagering.
The gaming and gambling landscape has shifted greatly over the past two years, as consumer addiction has become impossible to ignore. Organizations like ROGA and RGC are doing important work to educate customers and bring awareness to the potential harm done by organizations facilitating sports betting or online gambling. However, is their involvement coming too late, or will it prove to have started just in time for this explosion of mainstream gambling?
CX leaders can take pages out of ROGA and RGC's books by ensuring that the customer experiences they stand for uphold consumers' best interests. During this significant period of growth in an era of increasingly legalized mobile gaming and gambling, the customer experiences that stand apart will be consistent and honest.