Vox’s The Goods launches ‘The Big Squeeze,’ a biweekly column about consumption under capitalism

Managing money can be difficult, especially in a world of crypto, corporate monopolies, and credit cards, but Vox’s senior correspondent Emily Stewart is here to help navigate with a biweekly column from The Goods, ‘The Big Squeeze’. Stewart will examine the little ways in which our economic system controls and manipulates the average person. Looking at the question “Is there fair consumption under capitalism?” Stewart will dive into the tricks and scams that make it feel impossible to financially navigate the world.

In her first piece, Stewart examines the world of sports betting. As an amateur sports better and not an avid sports watcher, Stewart quickly found herself excited about her recent parlay bet. In between bets and text, Stewart questioned the morality, and the overall business of sports betting. Since its legalization in certain states, large media conglomerates have been sinking money into this endeavor. Sports betting has taken over ad spaces with companies such as FanDuel, DraftKings, MGM, and more. (Disclosure: The sports site SB Nation, which is owned by Vox’s parent company, Vox Media, has a partnership with DraftKings.) Stewart looks at who the real winners are in the sports betting industry, the pros and cons it ascertains for businesses and states, what users give up — including data — when we opt-in, as well as the addiction that often comes along with it.

Stewart is a senior correspondent for Vox and writes about the intersection of business, politics, and the economy. She is interested in how people experience the forces of capitalism and money. Prior to joining Vox, Emily covered politics at The Street, including the rise of Donald Trump and the stock market’s reaction to politics and policy. She graduated from Columbia University.

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