Gambling Disorder Diagnoses Rise in States with Legal Sports Betting

Why it matters locally: Michigan legalized sports betting in 2019, and these findings suggest that the state may also be experiencing a rise in gambling disorder diagnoses due to the increased accessibility of sports wagering.

Electronic health records from millions of individuals show a rise in gambling disorder diagnoses in U.S. states that legalized sports betting. This increase did not occur in states where sports wagering remained illegal, according to a recent study. The research compared health data from states with legal sports gambling to those without. Analysts specifically focused on diagnosis rates related to gambling disorders. The findings suggest a correlation between the availability of legal sports betting and a greater incidence of these diagnoses. Researchers drew their conclusions from an analysis of extensive electronic health records. These records provided a large dataset for comparing health trends across different regulatory environments regarding sports betting.