An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) released a report this week assessing the demand for gambling addiction assistance since the 2018 Supreme Court decision overturning a nationwide ban on sports betting. A total of 38 states have so far legalized sports betting. And the result — no surprise — is that people are seeking help.

Somehow, the “news” that people are seeking assistance for gambling addiction in record numbers has gone viral, with coverage by NBC News, CBS News, National Public Radio, and even Forbes. In the interest of meeting the surging demand for information about gambling addiction, here’s a cheat sheet to our coverage here at AddictionNews.

Epidemic of Sports Gambling Addiction

We have covered this story with growing alarm. Three years ago, The Economist published a graphic showing the rapid increase in wagering in the U.S. and predicted that “America may well face a parallel rise in gambling addiction.” A year ago, we published an earlier report on a surge in calls to problem gambling hotlines.

Gambling Addiction + Smartphone Addiction

Combine the addictive potential of smartphones with the addictive potential of sports wagering on smartphones, and you get a dopamine one-two punch that can throw a spanner into your brain’s reward system.

Gambling Addiction and Children

Theoretically, children are not legally allowed to gamble, so why do so many teens have serious gambling problems? You can thank games that use “loot boxes” to lure kids into longer playing times, and even vape pens with interactive gambling built in. Last year, the gambling news site, Action, provided a state-by-state rundown on the exploding number  of young men calling gambling addiction hotlines.

The Personal Consequences of Gambling Addiction

Scott Baker at the Kellogg School of Management has done eye-opening research showing that sports betting families are spending, on average, $1,100 from their life savings on sports betting per year. This YouTube video from the show, BreakingPoints, breaks down how sport gambling companies hound their customers into bankruptcy.

Suicide and Gambling Addiction

We recommend a systematic review published in Frontiers in Psychology which shows a dramatic increase in suicidal ideation for those with gambling addiction. In the United States, 9-8-8 is the national suicide and crisis hotline, and 1-800-GAMBLER is the gambling addiction hotline.

Treatment for Gambling Addiction

A very clever program in the U.K. attempts to wean people off from their gaming addiction rather than cut them off completely, which can lead to suicidal ideation. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown effective by two Australian researchers. Motivational interviewing shows promising results, especially in the early phase of seeking out treatment.

Medical Treatments for Gambling Addiction

Naloxone and buprenorphine — drugs used to treat opioid use disorder — have shown some effectiveness in treating gambling addiction. Also, GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have shown effectiveness against gambling addiction.

We hope this index of articles and resources on gambling addiction will be helpful to the millions of Americans suddenly searching out this information.

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published February 27, 2025.

Sources:

“Growing Health Concern Regarding Gambling Addiction in the Age of Sportsbooks,” JAMA Internal Medicine, February 17, 2025.

“Gamblers Increasingly Worry They’re Becoming Addicted, New Research Finds,” Forbes, February 17, 2025.

“Gambling Addiction Hotlines Seeing Boom in Calls, With Callers Getting Younger

Author Profile,” Action, May 08, 2024.

Image Copyright: sinenkiy.