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Recent studies of the prevalence of problem gambling and problematic play have drawn a mix of conclusions about the effects of sports betting expansion.
A survey conducted by the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Science found a rise in the prevalence of problem gambling among monthly gamblers in 2022, 2023, and the latter half of 2024, and higher rates in several different domains of harm over the same three-year period.
“Until recently, gambling harms were identified solely with the clinical entity of problem gambling. The assumption underlying this approach was that gambling harm could be minimized by treating people with gambling problems or by preventing people from progressing to that state in the past decade,” said Dr. Rachel Volberg, research professor for the school and principal investigator for the ongoing Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling In Massachusetts (SEIGMA) study.
“However, a broader view of the impacts of gambling has emerged internationally, with a shift in focus from problem gambling to gambling-related harm.”
The Massachusetts survey found just under 21 percent of respondents reporting behaviors corresponding with a problem or pathological gambler, increasing to 25 percent in 2023, before a slight dip to 23 percent in spring 2024 and then climbing to 28 percent in fall 2024.
Those harms were concentrated largely in four separate domains: financial, emotional/psychological, family/relationship, and work/school, with a notable rise in family and relationship harms from just under 14 percent in 2022 up to 27 percent in the fall 2024 study.
“We are recommending that given rising rates of sports betting frequency, that education and harm reduction strategies targeting sports bettors are warranted, and we believe there's a need for an expansion of responsible gambling tools to support individuals experiencing financial harms and/or family or relationship harms,” Volberg said.
Last month, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) released the results of a 2024 survey that painted a slightly rosier picture about the trendlines, finding that the number of adults reporting potentially problematic gambling behaviors “many times” was at 8 percent in 2024, down from 11 percent in the most recent equivalent survey of 2021.
The findings, NCPG said, suggested that an increase in problematic behavior found in the similar 2021 survey was driven more by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic than the expansion of sports betting.
The two studies are not directly comparable, as they use different classifications for what constitutes problematic behaviors and vastly different samples using one state compared to a national survey,
However, the NCPG also came away from the survey calling for increased education.
“The findings confirm the need for a comprehensive system of care for the estimated 2.5 million adults likely to suffer from gambling disorder, as well as the five to eight million more who exhibit some problematic behavior,” NCPG wrote in a report about the key findings of the survey.
“There is a critical need for education about the realities of gambling and how to lower its risks for those who choose to gamble, particularly for high-risk groups, including young adults, males, online gamblers, and sports bettors.”
In both cases, behaviors are also self-reported, rather than observed behaviors.
“Online panels are not representative of the general population, but they do provide important information about the direction of changes among regular monthly gamblers,” Volberg said.
“Individuals who participate in such surveys are more likely to be heavy gamblers which provides a much greater yield of individuals with characteristics of the greatest concern to policymakers, regulators, and others seeking to minimize and mitigate gambling harm,” the Massachusetts report added.
