Alexis Ohanian has always been more than just Serena Williams‘ No. 1 fan—he’s a tech mogul, a sharp entrepreneur, and someone who’s never shied away from sharing his wisdom.

From co-founding Reddit to championing groundbreaking business ventures, Ohanian’s insight has been a guiding light for many.

But this time, it’s not about business or his love for tennis; Ohanian is making waves with a powerful message on an issue close to home for countless people—gambling addiction.

The 41-year-old took to his X account to share his take on gambling addiction among adults. He highlighted that while it can be fun to gamble and making mistakes is acceptable, it is not appropriate to make it a habit.

He also shared that he was able to dodge its ill effects through proper decision-making at an early age.

Sharing his take on the issue, Ohanian wrote, “Gambling addiction is real, folks.  Thankful I feed my risk appetite through early stage investing and building companies.”

 Remember, Ohanian co-founded Reddit in 2005, soon after graduating from college. While he stepped out of the company in 2020, his wisdom kept him going and Ohanian founded Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm in 2020.

These ventures helped him gain some deep insights as he further cautioned about the spiraling effect of gambling addiction.

Continuing further, Ohanian shared the National Problem Gambling Helpline Number and wrote, “1-800-GAMBLER is there 24-7 for US and Canada. Gambling is fun and adults have the freedom to be adults and make bad choices, but don’t let it destroy your life.” 

Interestingly, Ohanian himself was a leading investor in 2021 for the sports-betting startup Wagr, an app that aimed at amalgamation of social media with the gambling market.

It was later acquired by Yahoo in 2023. But Ohanian’s concern for people highlights that he is not just a business giant but also someone who believes in the well-being of the masses.

1-800-GAMBLER is there 24-7 for US and Canada. Gambling is fun and adults have the freedom to be adults and make bad choices, but don’t let it destroy your life.

— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) December 28, 2024

The Gambling issue is quite prevalent in the United States with a lot of people being affected by its addiction, but very few seeking help.

A report by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) highlights that approximately 5 million Americans meet the criteria for compulsive gambling.

Unfortunately, only around 8% of these individuals will ever seek help for their problems.

“People with a gambling disorder often experience negative emotions such as guilt or shame related to their behavior. They may also exhibit withdrawal symptoms, including restlessness and irritability, when attempting to cease gambling,” a report by the Rutgers Addiction Research Centre states.

In such a situation as this, the advice of Serena Williams’ husband can be quite crucial. But this is not the first time when he has shared advice related to life and finances.

When Alexis Ohanian shared the “right mindset” to follow in life

Alexis Ohanian has witnessed several thicks and thins in his business ventures. However, his resilience and determination have helped him own a vast empire.

But these challenges definitely provided him with immense experience and develop an intriguing trait of what he refers to as “surfer’s mindset” that can help people succeed both, in life as well as business.

Speaking about the same during a keynote address at his alma mater, University of Virginia in 2023, Ohanian highlighted how this mindset can help people in their lives.

“There’s a really good analogy about life and business and surfing,” he said.

Continuing further, he explained, “That mindset is the right mindset for a life well-lived,” he said. “If you spent all your time on that board, just being anxious about the wave you just missed, you’re going to miss the next one.

If you spend it just daydreaming and trying to relive that one amazing wave you just had, you might miss the next one. In business, you catch L’s all of the time. All of the time,” he said, using a slang term for a loss.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Ohanian takes up some measures to help people overcome their habit of gambling and makes remarkable moves going forward.