A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants the federal government to take a much closer look at gambling addiction as online sports betting continues to spread across the United States.
Reps. Dan Goldman of New York and Blake Moore of Utah have introduced the Gambling Disorder Health Study Act, a proposal that would launch a comprehensive federal review of gambling disorder, including its causes, progression and long-term impacts. Researchers would also examine prevention efforts, treatment options and intervention strategies over multiple years.
The legislation comes as legal sports betting has proliferated since the Supreme Court’s 2018 Murphy v. NCAA decision. Supporters of the bill say the number of jurisdictions with legal sports betting has climbed from a single operational state in 2017 to 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico by 2025. During that period, annual wagering volume grew from $4.7 billion to roughly $220 billion across sportsbooks and prediction markets.
Under the proposal, up to 10% of federal excise tax revenue generated from state-authorized wagers would be directed toward the study for as many as three fiscal years. The Department of Health and Human Services would also be required to submit annual reports and policy recommendations to Congress.
Federal study to address concerns over gambling addiction
Backers of the measure argue that the growth of mobile betting has outpaced research into its public health consequences. They point to estimates showing that 27% of Americans have an online sportsbook account, with participation particularly high among younger men.
Young men are the demographic most vulnerable to gambling-related harm in the United States, according to a recent report. Lawmakers supporting the study say more than half of men between 18 and 49 have an online sportsbook account, while one-third have used event-based prediction markets for sports wagers.
“Gambling addiction is a growing public health crisis, especially for young men, and the federal government needs to start treating it as such,” said Rep. Goldman in a press release. “This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense first step to help us understand the full implications of the apps and sites that have made gambling readily accessible 24/7; to identify those most at risk of addiction; and to develop strategies to intervene and treat them, just as we do with other forms of addiction. Congress must take a more active role in fighting gambling addiction and pass this bill.”
Moore said the expansion of betting products has created new policy challenges.
“We are in a new age of gambling addiction as sports betting and prediction markets have proliferated into every aspect of life,” Moore said. “Lawmakers and all Americans need to take a deeper look into the causes and effects of gambling addiction so we can best craft real solutions. This bill will go a long way in helping us address this crisis.”
The proposal arrives alongside other efforts to address gambling-related harm. New York recently launched a decade-long study focused on addiction trends and support gaps, while the bipartisan POINTS Act has sought to expand funding for treatment and recovery programs.
The Kennedy Forum, the Foundation on Drug Policy Solutions, the New York Council on Problem Gambling and several other organizations have endorsed the bill.
“As online gambling surges, permeating the lives of Americans, we are increasingly concerned about how this experiment will unfold for those who will inevitably develop dependencies that can hurt families, weaken relationships, harm finances, and destroy mental health,” Finke said. “The Kennedy Forum supports this bill so we can better understand the scope and scale of the issue and help curb the emerging wave of addictions for profit that rely on shame, isolation, and silence to proliferate in our culture.”
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