A new study published in Jamah Internal Medicine and led by researchers at the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine reveals a dramatic increase in support of sports betting and gambling addiction since the decision by Landmark Murphy vs. NCAA Supreme Court I’m doing it. In 2018, the state paved the way that sports betting was legalized.
“When the Supreme Court legalized the Sportsbook – a venue where people can wager at various sports competitions – at Murphy vs. NCAA, public health experts paid little attention.” Infectious diseases and global Associate Director of Innovation for Public Health, Associate Director of the Faculty of Information Studies at UC San Diego Altman Clinical Institute (ACTRI), and scientist at the Qualcomm Institute. “Currently, sportsbooks are expanding from a single state to 38 states, with hundreds of billions of bets being mostly online, with millions seeking help for gambling addictions. This is consistent with the demand.
Unprecedented growth in sports betting
Since the Supreme Court ruling in 2018, the survey has documented incredible growth in the sportsbook industry.
The number of states with operational sportsbooks has increased from 1 in 2017 to 38 in 2024. Sports betting has skyrocketed from $4.9 billion in 2017 to $121.1 billion in 2023, with 94% placing online in 2023.
Sports betting is deeply embedded in our culture. From merciless ads to social media feeds and in-game commentary, sportsbooks are everywhere now. What was once a taboo activity that was confined to the periphery of society has now been completely normalized. ”
Matthew Allen, third-grade medical student
Researchers are projected to grow as these trends are invested in the industry in sportsbooks as a future of gambling, as evidenced by Caesars Entertainment’s rebranding of Caesars Sportsbook and Casino. .
Public health death angle
“In spite of gambling addiction as a perceived disorder of diagnostic and statistical manuals of mental disorders, it has been hardly overlooked in healthcare and public health without formal continuous monitoring,” psychiatry. “Without systemic surveillance, we’re flying blindly while we bet on millions of sports.”
To bridge this gap, the researchers analyzed Google search trends for questions that mentioned gambling, addiction, anonymity and hotlines from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2024.
“Many people who suffer from addiction don’t openly discuss it, but they rely on the internet for answers,” said Dr. Davey Smith, a professor of medicine and director of ACTRI. “Analyzing search trends will provide real-time insight into the true scale of gambling addiction in the US.”
Helps you to record your gambling addiction level
Alongside the growth of sportsbooks, internet searches seeking help with gambling addictions such as “being obsessed with gambling” will be available until June 2024 on Murphyv. It has increased cumulatively by 23% since the NCAA. Gambling addiction seeks help nationwide, with 180,000 searches being made every month at its peak.
With the state, the Sportsbook opening was consistently responding to increased demand for help with gambling addiction. Sports in Illinois (35%), Massachusetts (47%), Michigan (37%), New Jersey (34%), New York (37%), Ohio (67%), Pennsylvania (50%) and Virginia (30%) After the book was launched, searches related to gambling addiction have increased significantly.
“Because the amount of searches observed in all eight states is so high, it is virtually impossible for our findings to happen by chance,” said Atalbayola, a student researcher at UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute. Masu. “Statistically speaking, there is less than one in 25.6 billion people who have randomly occurring these results.”
Online sportsbooks promote even greater risk
The study found that online sportsbooks have a greater impact on helping gambling addiction than traditional brick-and-mortar stores. For example, in Pennsylvania:
With the introduction of retail sportsbooks, gambling addiction increased by 33% five months before the online sportsbook was launched. When online sportsbooks became available, searches surged by 61% – a significantly larger, more sustained increase that lasts for many years
“This pattern highlights the amplification risks associated with the accessibility and convenience of online sports betting,” added Dr. Adam Poliak, assistant professor of computer science at Bryn Mawr College.
Policy and public health reform are needed
“Expanding legalized sports betting to remain in arm range is beyond the ability to understand and address the impact of public health,” says Nimit Desai, a third-year medical student. states. “Our findings are awakening calls for policymakers, health professionals and public health advocates to take action now.”
To mitigate the risks posed by the expansion of sports betting, researchers recommend investigating the following interventions:
To ensure evidence-based treatment programs, we used Sportsbook tax revenue to increase funding for gambling addiction services. Enhanced advertising regulations similar to those implemented for tobacco and alcohol limit where products can be promoted and where they can be targeted. A clinical training program for healthcare professionals to improve the diagnosis and treatment of gambling addiction. Strong safeguards for online sportsbooks, including betting restrictions, age restrictions, breaks implemented, and restrictions on credit card use for gambling. Expanding public awareness campaigns highlighting gambling risks and warning signs, reducing stigma and promoting early intervention. Continuing data sharing and research collaboration, working together with regulatory agencies, healthcare providers and regulators to assess the effectiveness of interventions and improve policies in real time.
“There’s a lack of regulation on sportsbooks because the Supreme Court, not the legislators, has legalized them,” Ayers concluded. “Congress must act now by passing common sense safeguards. History is actively harming unidentified industries, tobacco and opioids before regulations catch up. It shows that it can cause: take aggressive measures to prevent gambling-related harms, or pay the price by repeating past mistakes. Later.
sauce:
University of California – San Diego
Journal Reference:
Yeola, A., et al. (2025). Growing health concerns about gambling addiction in the age of sportsbooks. Jama Internal Medicine. doi.org/10.1001/jamainterternmed.2024.8193.
