A new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded there has been a steady rise in people seeking help for sports betting and gambling addiction.
The study analyzed Google searches per 10 million queries that mentioned gambling and addiction and other related terms made from Jan. 1, 2016, through June 30, 2024.
The report, led by researchers from the University of California San Diego and published Feb. 17, found that since the repeal of PASPA in 2018 and the legal sports betting market growing from only Nevada to encompass 38 states by 2024, online searches for help with gambling addiction have increased 23% across the U.S.
The study found there were approximately 6.5 to 7.3 million such searches, with a peak of 180,000 monthly searches.
Online sportsbooks much greater concern than retail, say authors
Breaking it down state-by-state, the data showed that Ohio (67%), Pennsylvania (50%), Massachusetts (47%), Michigan (37%), New York (37%), Illinois (35%), New Jersey (34%) and Virginia (30%) all saw significant increases in gambling addiction-related searches following the opening of any sportsbooks.
The study also noted that its findings suggest online sports betting produces a greater need for addiction support than its retail counterpart.
Using Pennsylvania as an example, it found the introduction of retail sports betting precipitated a 33% increase in gambling addiction help-seeking searches during the five months before online sportsbooks launched. When online sportsbooks became available, searches surged by 61% in what the authors called “a significantly greater and more sustained increase that persisted for years.”
American Gaming Association SVP Joe Maloney told NPR that regulating online sports betting allows vital problem gambling services to be better provided.
“To the extent that there are those that are demonstrating problematic behavior right now, this activity being out in the light, not in the shadows, is enabling services to be delivered.”
Researchers urge action
Still, the authors said the results highlight the need to further address the health effects of sportsbooks. The researchers suggested several actions, including:
- Increased funding for gambling addiction services using sportsbook tax revenues
- Enhanced advertising regulations similar to those implemented for tobacco and alcohol
- Clinical training programs for healthcare professionals to improve gambling addiction diagnosis and treatment
- Stronger safeguards for online sportsbooks, including betting and age limits, enforced breaks and credit card bans
- Expanded public awareness campaigns highlighting gambling risks, reducing stigma and encouraging early intervention
- Ongoing data sharing and research collaborations between regulators and healthcare providers
“Sportsbook regulations are lacking because the Supreme Court, not legislators, legalized them,” argued John Ayers, a professor of data and behavioral sciences at the University of California San Diego.
“Congress must act now by passing commonsense safeguards. History has shown that unchecked industries-whether tobacco or opioids-inflict immense harm before regulations catch up. We can either take proactive steps to prevent gambling-related harms or repeat past mistakes and pay the price later.”
