However, researchers said that number may be lower.
Problem gambling affects about 16% of adults and more than 26% of teenagers who use online casinos or slot machine games, the report estimated. It is estimated that alcohol addiction affects about 9% of adults and more than 16% of youth who engage in gambling.
In addition to causing significant financial losses, gambling can increase a person’s risk of suicide and domestic violence, the report noted.
The report analyzed new gambling laws between 2018 and 2023 in 80 jurisdictions, including many US states. It also explored gambling in countries where it is prohibited but access to the Internet allows it to thrive.
A safe, responsible game?
In 2018, the United States Supreme Court overturned the first ban on sports betting. Since then, 38 countries have legalized gambling and its popularity has grown exponentially.
Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications at the American Gaming Association, an industry group, said the gambling industry has worked closely with state regulators to promote a safe and responsible environment.
Since the 2018 decision, Maloney said in a statement, “the industry has made significant investments in developing responsible gaming policies, expanding the resources available to consumers, and improving tools to promote gaming.” safe money.”
“We strongly support continued dialogue and the adoption of best practices to ensure the continued implementation of effective security,” he said.
According to the gaming association, the industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to promote responsible gaming and has added more than 5,000 officials across states where gambling is legal. The group’s resources cite several studies that suggest that increased exposure to gambling has not led to increased levels of addiction.
Among the evidence was a 2023 Massachusetts report by Rachel Volberg, the Lancet’s public health commissioner. Nationwide population surveys, from 2013 to 2021, have shown a decline in problem gambling as gambling declines overall. The report surveyed people before gambling was legalized in Massachusetts in 2023.
Volberg’s 2024 report released in August suggests that there may have been a reversal in this decline. The report used an online survey of monthly gamblers, who are considered the “canary in the coal mine” for the rise in gambling, according to Volberg, a professor of epidemiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who studies gambling and problem gambling. Those recent results suggest an increase in gambling frequency and risk to gamblers every month, including their financial, social and psychological well-being.
However, he noted that the impact of easy access to online gambling has not been fully studied.
“It needs to be monitored,” he told USA TODAY. “There is really very little being done to monitor the effects of increased gambling.”
Reason for gambling laws
The Lancet report looked at the rationale behind gambling laws. US laws focus more on potential benefits to revenue, while European laws focus more on risks to public health.
The US is also different in that it has different regulations from state to state, said Lia Nower, director of the Center for the Study of Sports at Rutgers, New Jersey. There is no federal regulator that sets the maximum standards.
Nower said many young people are turning to gambling, which they often access through video games. This is particularly worrying as young people who are exposed are more likely to continue gambling later in life.
The researchers urged governments to put health first when creating laws around gambling rather than the tax revenue that businesses can bring in. The commission was reduced to policy solutions, such as limiting the marketing and availability of gambling, restricting government influence in gambling and avoiding investigations funded by the gambling industry. The report also calls for more attention to protect children and consumers, both nationally and internationally, against the harmful effects of gambling.
If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER, which is operated by the National Council on Problem Gambling.
(This story has been updated with new information. )
