Tapes from the Darkside

The Darkside | Premium
The Darkside | Premium

A true crime podcast that dissects the worst things people have ever done. Using real source audio, primary records, and an investigative lens we dive deep to the darkest depths of the human psyche. Featured in Vulture Magazine and over 1 million downloads. Rated a top 5 podcast to make you feel sick and cry. Support us on Patreon. Premium feed, bonus episodes, ad-free, early, in lossless audio. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside Or make a one-time donation: https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal/

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  1. Episode 1

    S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone

    Everyone remembers their first win. I remember mine. The chief of police of New Haven, Connecticut surely remembered his.  And in the twelve months that followed, he wagered $4.4 million on sports betting apps from the phone in his pocket. This is the story of Karl Jacobson's fall, told alongside my own 10-day descent into the same apps.  Come and see what Karl felt from the inside, and the devastating lesson I learned with him: the most dangerous part of gambling isn't losing.  It's winning. The App on the Phone is the new season from Tapes from the Darkside. For the first time, you can download/stream this episode as a lossless WAV file, the exact uncompressed quality I master it in. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential. Credits and Sources Editing help by:
 Troy Piano on Airgigs.com Archival audio & media * Karl Jacobson interview — Dateline New Haven, WNHH-LP FM (New Haven Independent community radio), 2022–2023 * Karl Jacobson swearing-in remarks — [broadcaster/source to confirm] * New Haven Police Department press conference on the Jacobson charges — [broadcaster/source to confirm] * Duke vs. UConn, NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game call — [network to confirm: CBS/TBS/TNT] * Sports betting advertisement (FanDuel/DraftKings promotional spot) — [advertiser to confirm] Reporting & court records * Arrest warrant affidavit, State of Connecticut v. Karl Jacobson, Connecticut State Police, February 2026 * New Haven Independent (Thomas Breen reporting), 2026 * University of New Haven, "Father and Daughter Share a Passion for Criminal Justice," December 2021 Scientific & academic sources * Clark, L., et al. "Gambling Near-Misses Enhance Motivation to Gamble and Recruit Win-Related Brain Circuitry." Neuron, 2009. * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013 — reclassification of gambling disorder. * Nathan Novemsky, Yale School of Management — commentary on Connecticut sports-betting legalization. * Research on DRD2 Taq1A allele and addiction heritability; twin-study heritability estimates for gambling disorder. * U.S. sports betting market figures (American Gaming Association data, 2017–2024). Music * Matooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo" * AUGUSTA TREVERORUM — from the album 1991. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.com * 20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.com Special thank you to: Uncle Chris for his post credit contribution.

    S12, Chapter 1: The App on the Phone

  2. Episode 2

    S12, Chapter 2: The Winning Phase

    Nine apps. Ten days. Hundreds of bets. I'll walk you through what a gambling spiral looks like firsthand. We'll take a look at the $314 million machine that put these apps in front of me. And the illusion of control that almost turned a ten day experiment into something that much much worse. Karl Jacobson wasn't so lucky. His childhood; filled with alcoholism and abuse. As a cop, he spent his life trying to become the kind of person who makes others feel safe. The person you can trust. And the disease that lived in his childhood home found him anyway. Not through a bottle, but through a screen. Resources If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential. Patreon Support the show and get access to the Premium Feed. Bonus episodes. Early, ad-free, lossless. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside Merch store relauch. Everything is on sale for a limited time. https://merchfromthedarkside.com/ Credits and Sources Editing help by: Troy Turner / troypiano at https://www.airgigs.com/user/troypiano Interview Clips Karl Jacobson — "Kica's Corner: Police Chief Karl Jacobson" (Kica Matos, YouTube, ~mid-2022).Karl Jacobson — "Karl Jacobson speaks on new role as New Haven Chief of Police / Full Interview" (swearing-in, July 2022).Legislative / Documentary Footage U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Legalized Sports Gambling (December 2024). Senator Dick Durbin.Predatory Gambling Documentary — "The Big Con" segment. Les Bernal and others on the financial-exchange model of commercialized gambling.Betting Advertisements (as cited in the episode) FanDuel television adBetMGM television ad ("Make it legendary")DraftKings television ad (featuring Kevin Hart)Bet365 television ad ("Bet $10, get $365")DraftKings television ad ("New customers bet five bucks, get 300")Research & Studies Referenced Ellen Langer (1975), "The Illusion of Control." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 32(2), 311–328. doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.32.2.311B.F. Skinner, Schedules of Reinforcement (Ferster & Skinner, 1957).American Gaming Association, Responsible Marketing Code — barred members from using "risk free" (and "free bet") language. americangaming.orgLaBrie, LaPlante, Nelson, Schumann & Shaffer (2007), "Assessing the Playing Field: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Internet Sports Gambling Behavior." Journal of Gambling Studies 23:347–362.Braverman & Shaffer (2012), "How Do Gamblers Start Gambling: Identifying Behavioural Markers for High-Risk Internet Gambling." European Journal of Public Health 22(2):273–278. doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckp232Nelson et al. (2019), "Longitudinal Playing Trends Among Daily Fantasy Sports Players." Computers in Human Behavior. sciencedirect.com"A Large-Scale Prospective Study of Big Wins and Their Relationship with Future Financial and Time Involvement in Actual Daily Fantasy Sports Contests" (2021). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734785Lesieur & Custer (1984), "Pathological Gambling: Roots, Phases, and Treatment." Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 474:146–156. journals.sagepub.comMichael Sandel, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (Harvard University; lecture series and book).r/problemgambling — User GamblingRecoveryCom: "Gambling is a paradox where losing is actually the best-case scenario. Winning early is an infection."Music 20SIX Hundred — "Cimmerian Shade / Last Moments," from the album The Cold Rise From Sleep (2015). Used with permission / licensed. 20sixhundred.bandcamp.comAUGUSTA TREVERORUM — "Nightmares" from the album Blacktape. agsttrvrrm.bandcamp.comMatooma — "Infinite Emptiness"; CTRL S — "SpaceTimeThought"; Shahead Mostafafar — "Into the Next Dimension"; Jamie Bathgate — "Atmo"; DaniHaDani — "Aurora". Licensed via Artlist. artlist.ioJust for Kicks — "TV Dinner" (Creative Cut, "Dreamy") and "Why Am I Anxious." Licensed via Artlist. artlist.io

    S12, Chapter 2: The Winning Phase

  3. Episode 3

    S12, Chapter 3: The Randy Cox Thing

    On the floor of a New Haven holding cell, paralyzed, while the officer standing over him laughed and asked why he kept winking, Randy Cox said: "I need somebody to take me seriously." It's on page 17 of a 70-page internal affairs report, no news outlet ever printed it, and it's the reason this episode exists. Resources If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7 — call or text 1-800-522-4700. Free and confidential. Patreon Support the show and get access to the Premium Feed. Bonus episodes. Early, ad-free, lossless. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside Merch https://merchfromthedarkside.com/ PayPal / Venmo for a one time donation https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=S73N9V6V3MC7L

    S12, Chapter 3: The Randy Cox Thing

  4. Episode 4

    S12, Chapter 4: The Machine

    A check for $1,000 and on the memo line... Toy Give Away.Another one for $3,000... Toy Drive. Both made out to the chief of police. Two days before Christmas. ... In a final effort to rid us from what I consider to be frankly evil gamlbing ads, I have decided to remove all ads from season 12. If you'd like to support the show you can do so on Patreon or PayPal. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside/ https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal I'll keep you updated as I continue to lobby Spreaker / Vox Media for a common sense option to disable gamlbing ads without paying their exorbitant (borderline extortionate) monthly fee.

    S12, Chapter 4: The Machine

  5. Jun 27

    S12, a note about gambling ads

    Gambling ads have been appearing this season. I don't like that. Here's the situation. *** Questions, comments, etc. tapesfromthedarksidepod@gmail.com

    S12, a note about gambling ads

  6. 2d ago

    S12, a final note about gambling ads (no ads this season)

    In a final effort to rid us from what I consider to be frankly evil gamlbing ads, I have decided to remove all ads from season 12. If you'd like to support the show you can do so on Patreon or PayPal. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside/ https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal I'll keep you updated as I continue to lobby Spreaker / Vox Media for a common sense option to disable gamlbing ads without paying their exorbitant (borderline extortionate) monthly fee.

    S12, a final note about gambling ads (no ads this season)
See All Season 12 (6)

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A true crime podcast that dissects the worst things people have ever done. Using real source audio, primary records, and an investigative lens we dive deep to the darkest depths of the human psyche. Featured in Vulture Magazine and over 1 million downloads. Rated a top 5 podcast to make you feel sick and cry. Support us on Patreon. Premium feed, bonus episodes, ad-free, early, in lossless audio. https://www.patreon.com/tapesfromthedarkside Or make a one-time donation: https://www.tapesfromthedarkside.com/paypal/

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