TV Producer Behind ‘Long Island Medium’ and ‘Moonshiners’ Casting Gamblers
Posted on: May 12, 2026, 03:33h.
Last updated on: May 12, 2026, 03:35h.
- A casting call from a leading TV production company is seeking problem gamblers who have turned their lives around
- Magilla is a leader in non-scripted programming, behind such hits as “Moonshiners” and “Long Island Medium”
Casting call: the television production company responsible for such hits as “Moonshiners” and “Long Island Medium” is seeking gamblers for its next project.
Magilla Entertainment is a leader in New York City’s non-scripted television industry.
The production company has a lengthy credit list, which, along with “Moonshiners and “Long Island Medium,” includes HGTV’s “Bargain Hunt” series, Discovery’s “Constables on Patrol,” and ID’s “Who Hired the Hitman?” Magilla also produced a one-hour Travel Channel special in 2011 called “Ultimate Travel: Vegas Insiders.”
A go-to production house for numerous cable networks, Magilla’s newest development hones in on the recent rise of sports betting and other forms of gambling. With gambling more mainstream than ever before, there are many concerns that rates of problem gambling are escalating, especially among young men.
Problem Gamblers Wanted
Magilla is developing a program “in collaboration with a well-known platform” that highlights the importance of gambling responsibly. The production company is amid a casting call for individuals who are willing to share their “honest, real-life stories of struggle, resilience, and the path forward.”
Those who have “experienced a major fall from grace due to gambling” but “found their way back” are encouraged to apply.
If that sounds like you, you’re encouraged to email castingdirector@magilla.tv. Applicants should include a short, one- to two-minute video telling their story, as well as their name, location, phone number, and social media handles.
Your story could help inspire and support others,” Magilla said.
The production will take place in New York City next Friday, May 22.
Gaming Rise
Since the US Supreme Court’s May 2018 landmark ruling that allowed states to determine the legality of sports betting within their borders, the commercial gaming industry has repeatedly set new revenue records.
In 2025, gross gaming revenue from commercial non-tribal operators, inclusive of casinos, iGaming, and sports betting, totaled $78.72 billion, a 9.2% year-over-year gain. 2025 marked the fifth consecutive year of record GGR. The $78.72 billion tally does not include revenue from tribal gaming, lotteries, prediction markets, online sweepstakes casinos, or skill games.
Sports betting normalized betting, gambling that before the 2018 SCOTUS decision was limited to Nevada, local bookies, and offshore gambling websites. It’s resulted in gambling being more prevalent than ever before.
Sportsbooks and their casino partners have helped convert sports bettors to casino gamblers. And the recent emergence of prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket has only further expanded what Americans can bet on.
Adding fuel to the responsible gaming fire is that prediction markets are 18+. Responsible gaming advocates say exposing such young people to the platforms that allow trading on the NBA Playoffs and who will win this weekend’s PGA Championship poses a great risk for more problem gambling horror stories in the future.
A recent study from Morning Consult concluded that 77% of Americans believe prediction markets could “increase gambling-related harm among young adults.”
As Casino.org reported in April, non-personal bankruptcy filings in the United States soared 11.9% in the federal government’s latest fiscal year. It was the highest number of personal bankruptcy filings since 2019.
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