Gambling Disorder Diagnoses Rise in States with Legal Sports Betting

Why it matters locally: Florida, having recently expanded legal sports betting, is likely to be among the states experiencing a rise in gambling disorder diagnoses, potentially increasing demand for mental health services statewide.

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.