- Gambling disorder diagnoses have increased by over 60% since 2018 in states with legalized sports betting.
- Such diagnoses have declined by nearly 30% in states without legalized sports betting.
LAS VEGAS – The legalization of sports betting has had a profoundly positive effect on local economies in many states, but sports betting can also have its downsides.
According to a recent study, states with legal sports betting have shown a 61% increase in gambling disorder diagnoses since 2018. That alarming figure that is trending in the opposite direction of states without legalized sports betting, which have seen a 29% decrease in the same statistic.
In Q1 2018, the quarterly rate was 3.0 per 100,000 patients with diagnosed gambling disorder in states with legalized sports betting, which jumped up to 4.8 per 100,000 in Q1 2026. On the other hand, it decreased from 3.1 per 100,000 in 2018 to 2.2 per 100,000 in 2026 in states without legalized sports betting.
Officially recognized as an addictive disorder in 2013, people diagnosed with gambling disorder continue to gamble despite financial, emotional, or social harm.
The obvious answer as to why this is happening is the ease of access to legal sports betting sites, which can be accessed on any smart device with an internet connection. With the integration of apps and websites optimized for cell phone use, it has never been easier to wager on sports.
The study, conducted by Epic Research, may not even cover the full scope of sports betting addiction across the country. There have not been any federally funded studies for problem gambling since 1999, meaning while this data may give us a look into the current landscape, there are still untapped avenues for data collection that could give a clearer picture.
Problem gambling is a point of emphasis for many legislators, especially those in states with legalized sports betting. While it is clearly a widespread issue, only about 3-10% of those diagnosed with gambling addictions ever receive treatment, according to gambling researcher Rachel Volberg.
Mobile sports betting sites are not going away anytime soon, so lawmakers and researchers continue to look for potential solutions.
