Professor Natasha Dow Schüll and Chris Hedges discuss how casino capitalism, present in everything from algorithms to today’s political rhetoric, tries to “sweep people away … from a position where they have clear lines of sight and can act as decision-making subjects.” Watch the latest episode of Hedges’ show “On Contact,” below, as the Truthdig columnist is joined by the author of “Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas.”

— Posted by Natasha Hakimi Zapata

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