Topline

A new study by University of California San Diego medical researchers shows there has been a dramatic increase in those looking into help for gambling addiction since a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2018 paved the way for states to legalize sports betting—and online sportsbooks are largely to blame.

Key Facts

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Big Number

6.5 to 7.3 million. That’s how many searches there were seeking help for gambling addiction across the country between May 2018 and June 2024, with a peak of 180,000 monthly searches in June 2023.

Key Background

The Supreme Court in May 2018 (Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association) gave the states power to regulate their own gambling industries, opening states beyond Nevada to legalize sports betting. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of states with operational sportsbooks increased from 1 to 38, and total sports wagers increased from $4.9 billion to $121.1 billion in the same amount of time. Help for problem gamblers, however, didn’t keep up with the surge, researchers say. In 2023, states allocated an average of $3.1 million annually for gambling addiction services, but that number is driven exponentially higher by the efforts of one state, Massachusetts, which allocated $22.6 million alone while most states set aside less than $1 million. Twenty states allocated less than $400 000, despite collecting tens of millions of dollars in gambling tax revenue. The study’s researchers found that, in addition to a shortage of funding, many health practitioners report little to no training or expertise with gambling disorders, and there are virtually no medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat such a disorder.

Crucial Quote

“The expansion of legalized sports betting to always be at arm’s reach has outpaced our ability to understand and address its public health consequences,” researcher and medical student Nimit Desai said in a statement. “Our findings are a wake-up call for policymakers, healthcare professionals and public health advocates to act now.”

Tangent

Gambling disorder shares neurobiological similarities with substance use disorders and is associated with other mental health conditions like depression, bipolar disorder and suicidality. Both involve the brain’s reward system–specifically the release of dopamine—and both stimulate the same regions of the brain associated with pleasure, leading to similar patterns of craving and dependence. Gambling addiction is linked to physical health consequences like tachycardia, angina and hypertension, the California researchers report, and social consequences like higher rates of bankruptcy, unemployment and homelessness.

Further Reading

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