Walk through the Harper Great Hall or the Steele Activities Center during lunch, and you might notice something new among the student body. It isn’t the usual schoolwork; instead, eyes are glued to the rolling digital dice of Rainbet or even playing poker during class. What started as a small group has quickly evolved into a visible part of campus culture, raising urgent questions about how these high-stakes platforms align with our commitment to intentionality and the Jesuit values of Brophy College Prep.
Social media has drastically shifted the youth’s view of gambling, specifically through platforms like Rainbet. High-profile creators like TJR have glamorized “putting 300k on black,” presenting high-stakes risk as a casual lifestyle. However, these influencers are not the average person with an average salary. They represent a distorted reality that masks a dangerous psychological trap.
There is a big psychological trap that forms inside the youth’s mind and that can lead to a gambling addiction.
The Yale Medicine department of psychiatry can back this up, saying, “the brain’s reward system is not yet fully developed in adolescents, they are more susceptible to the ‘high’ of a win and less able to weigh the long-term consequences of a loss, creating a fast track to addictive behaviors.”
At Brophy, being a Man for Others is the most important thing and gambling contradicts this Jesuit ideal, as it thrives on a cycle where one person’s profit is based on others’ losses. Beyond the moral cost, it can take away the financial security that Brophy wants its future students to experience.
I recognize the allure of gambling and how it looks fun through how it is depicted through social media or by those doing it all around you, but it is inherently bad. Gambling is not something a Man for Others should take part in, and it is important to remember that Brophy condemns gambling both on and off campus.