Gambling Addiction Is a Growing Crisis — And Online Betting Is Making It Worse
A new report from Baptist Health South Florida is raising the alarm about gambling addiction, calling it a growing mental health concern fueled by the explosion of online sports betting and so-called “prediction markets.”
Most states have legalized sports betting. Survey data shows more than half of men ages 18 – 49 have an active sportsbook account online. Arkansans wagered a record $86.5 million in March alone this year. “Prediction markets” that operate outside the scope of state regulation have exploded in recent years as well. But this type of gambling is taking a terrible toll on everyday people and their families.
The Baptist Health South Florida report published as part of National Mental Health Awareness Month notes that gambling has moved from casinos and racetracks to smartphones — and that the shift has made it far more dangerous.
Psychiatrists and neuropsychologists quoted in the report warn that online platforms are engineered to keep people engaged, using instant rewards and near-misses to trigger the same brain chemistry as other addictions.
“When gambling moves from a destination to something in your pocket, the barrier to entry disappears, and so does the natural stopping point,” said Dr. Rachel Rohaidy, a psychiatrist with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute. That level of constant access to gambling creates serious problems.
The report also highlights the danger of prediction markets — platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket that let users wager on elections, weather, sports outcomes, and other real-world events. These platforms dress up gambling as “investing,” but as the report’s experts note, the emotional and behavioral patterns mirror traditional gambling addiction.
We have written repeatedly about how mobile sports betting apps use addictive technology to hook people — especially young adults. Twenty-year-old males account for approximately 40% of calls to gambling addiction hotlines, and upwards of 20 million men are in debt or have been in debt as a result of sports betting. In 2024, the Arkansas Problem Gambling Council announced a 22% increase in calls for help with problem gambling — driven largely by sports betting.
The financial damage is severe. A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that states with legal mobile sports betting have seen credit delinquency rates spike — especially among borrowers under 40.
Researchers at UCLA estimate that online sportsbooks are linked to an increase of roughly 30,000 more bankruptcies per year nationwide.
Bankruptcy attorneys across the country say online sports betting is driving a surge in personal bankruptcies — especially among young men in their 20s and 30s.
Sports betting is out of control. It is corrupting sports and ruining lives.
Sports betting isn’t harmless entertainment — it’s predatory, and it’s growing. As powerful corporations try to make gambling part of everyday life, it’s important for Arkansas to protect its citizens and families from predatory gambling.
Otherwise, gambling addiction will simply continue wrecking lives and hurting families in our state.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
