With sports betting now legal in almost 40 US states, a new study has revealed that this expansion has led to a significant increase in the number of internet searches related to gambling addiction.
University of California San Diego and Bryn Mawr College researchers published the findings of a new study on the topic in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal. They’re calling for additional awareness about the issue, as the incidence of people seeking help or information has increased more than expected.
people across the country searched for such terms between about 6.5 and 7.3 million times
The team looked at monthly Google searches related to addiction, focusing on key phrases like “Am I a gambling addict?” or “Gambling addiction hotline.” They found a 23% increase in the volume of such terms above the expected level. Over a period of more than 73 months, people across the country searched for such terms between about 6.5 and 7.3 million times.
One of the study’s co-authors pointed toward the increasing prevalence of social media and television advertisements promoting sportsbooks as an issue, as they can normalize excessive gambling. The availability of 24/7 online betting is another big contributing factor to addiction rates.