From social media and dynamic pricing to meme stocks and AI hype, gamification has taken over our lives—and a recent op-ed argues that it’s even spread into our economy, driven by Trump. Nate and Maria discuss the psychology behind the “casino economy” and why speculation and risk are so addicting. They talk about what it means when governments, businesses, and individuals lean into risk even as buffers against bad bets shrink—and why it’s easy not to object until it’s already too late.

Further Reading:

From the New York Times: It Is Trump’s Casino Economy Now. You’ll Probably Lose

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The Leap from Maria Konnikova

Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver