Thanks for the feedback!
Yeah, player agency is a definite problem where the game ended up being by the end of the time limit. The only player agency in the current version is when the player reaches the end, they can choose to bet on a different number to place their final bet based on the stats gained from talking to the bar patrons (if you have maxed out talking to one, you can get a different ending).
You hit the nail on the head with finding that the development was spread thin! The game just drags on forever after the intro it seems. Focusing on the core of an idea like you said is definitely gonna be my main takeaway from this jam.