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Kayla, 25, woke up $40,000 in debt one morning from online solitaire gambling. Kayla is not her real name, but she can be anyone’s child, sister, or friend. Addiction experts say the rise in sports betting and online games in the US has led to a dramatic increase in Americans seeking help in the gambling in question.
In the US, gambling has never been easier. Particularly because the 2018 Landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling paved the way for states to legalize sports betting. Currently, around 38 states offer legal sports betting. Total sports betting has increased from under $5 billion before the verdict to $121.1 billion in 2023, with 94% of which placed online. Additionally, seven US states allow online casino gambling or “Igaming,” while several others are considering legalizing it. This can also regulate bets that occur illegally due to tax revenue.
However, if gambling is easy now, you are more likely to get into trouble.
For example, Kera says she bets tens of thousands of dollars she didn’t have, despite being illegal in Illinois. She did it for 8-10 hours a day as soon as she got home from work and skipped sleep. “I mainly played in bed at night,” she told me.
What made it so appealing was the combination of convenience and secrets. “I’m pretty lazy, so if I had to drive to the casino, I wouldn’t have done it,” she said. “The app first lets me get lots of wins and then I was sure if I started losing, I could just keep playing and get it back.” She is currently taking part in a gambling addiction treatment program every day.
There are few social clues to let you know you’re gambling too much online. And, 24/7, “It can be very easy to be ignored by reality,” told me Rachel Volberg, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst University who has been studying problem gambling since 1985.
Ohio’s Issues Derek Longmeier, executive director of Gambling Network, said gambling addiction could hurt families and society. “One in five people with gambling disorders attempts to commit suicide.” Much higher than other addiction rates.
According to the National Gambling Council, 2.5 million people in the US have “serious gambling problems,” while another 5MN-8mn has “mild or moderate” problems. A 2022 Ohio Gamble survey found that even before sports betting began in the state, nearly 20% of the population had problems with gambling or risks including 24.1% between 18 and 24 years old. Ohio is considering legalizing it.
Regulations may help people avoid gambling in question, experts say. In testimony before the Ohio Senate, Scottward of Sports Betting Alliance, an industry association for legal online gaming companies such as Fanduel and Draftkings, said he understands concerns about “putting a casino in every pocket.” However, he added: “Unfortunately, every pocket in Ohio already has a casino. It’s illegal, unregulated, tax-free, and does not provide consumer protection or problematic gambling resources.” In one study, Ohio estimated an illegal and unregulated market at $5 billion a year.
Volberg says there are ways to help protect people. Gambling sites can invite players to opt-in to voluntary restrictions, or, if possible, force them to opt-out. These can cover how much someone can gamble, how long they can deposit into their account, how much they can lose.
Other regulatory proponents say operators can provide clear tools to allow players to see complete losses and see timers that indicate when they are playing. Platforms like Gamban also allow consumers to self-block from tens of thousands of gambling websites and apps.
“We should build a fence on the top of the cliff rather than park an ambulance at the bottom,” says Volberg. It may help prevent online gambling from ruining their finances when their lives are barely beginning.
patti.waldmeir@ft.com
