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Gambling disorders have been on the rise across the U.S., according to a new study.
NBC News reported that the study, conducted by Epic Research, found that diagnoses of gambling disorder have risen 60 percent since 2018 in states that have legalized sports betting.
39 states have legalized gambling since a 2018 Supreme Court case that cleared the way for them to do so.
“Among adult patients living in states that have legalized sports betting, the quarterly rate of diagnosed gambling disorder rose from 3.0 per 100,000 patients in Q1 2018 to 4.8 per 100,000 in Q1 2026, around a 61% increase,” the Epic research study stated.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a gambling disorder is an uncontrollable urge to gamble, regardless of the negative impacts it has on a person’s life.
“Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction. If you have a problem with compulsive gambling, you may continually chase bets that lead to losses, use up savings and create debt. You may hide your behavior and even turn to theft or fraud to support your addiction,” the Mayo Clinic stated.
NBC News reported that as gambling disorder rose in states that had legalized it since 2018, it fell in the 11 states that had not legalized it. The network reported that diagnoses fell 30 percent in those states since 2018.
The network noted that although 30- to 49-year-olds had the highest rate of gambling disorder, the biggest increase occurred in young people between 18 and 29.
“This is extremely important evidence that speaks to not only the impact of legalization — but the inherently dangerous nature of how online gambling is fundamentally different than anything we’ve seen before,” Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute, told NBC News. “You’re introducing younger and more vulnerable people to a highly addictive product.”
