In 2020, there were 5.7 million Americans with a gambling disorder, according to a nationwide survey by the National Association of Administrators for Disordered Gambling Services.įocus on gambling disorders has historically been minimal in the United States, said Timothy Fong, a psychiatrist and the co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. Resources for gambling addiction programs have long been thin in the United States and have been stretched further by the current wave of sports betting. There are options to bet in-game on every quarter, player, and event. These days, gamblers can also do much more than wager on the outcome of a game. Sports teams and leagues were once fiercely opposed to gambling on the games. (Any customer who places a Super Bowl bet of five dollars or more on FanDuel will win a share of $10 million in “free bets” if Gronkowski makes it.) DraftKings will air a commercial featuring Kevin Hart and David Ortiz, while Rob Gronkowski will attempt a field goal kick live in a FanDuel ad. At the same time, they also attract an influx of new gamblers who had never set foot in a casino or would have known how to place a bet with a bookie.ĭuring the Super Bowl, there will be an onslaught of advertisements - most starring celebrity sponsors and athletes - meant to encourage new sign-ups and grab market share. These apps are often replacing illegal betting venues.

In the past five years, there has been an explosion of online sports betting apps from companies like DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars. There’s been a spike in inquiries to state gambling-addiction hotlines, states say. The booming sports betting industry, lawmakers and even the professional sports leagues themselves are making it easier, faster and more tempting for people to bet on games - and develop gambling problems, say gambling researchers and addiction specialists.Ī flood of advertising, technology that allows for one-click betting at home, and nearly unlimited betting options during games have collided. Now, on Super Bowl Sunday, a record 50.4 million US adults are expected to bet on the game.

Thirty-three states have made sports gambling legal in the wake of the decision. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on commercial sports betting in most of the country. The sports gambling gold rush is coming at a high cost.

How does gambling destroys families