Since legal sports betting quickly expanded in May 2018, gambling has been more widely recognized as a form of entertainment.  However, studies indicate that it has also harmed those who are susceptible to addiction.

There are 39 states that allow sports betting, including Massachusetts.  The Commonwealth is also one of the thirty-three states that permit internet gambling.

Sports betting is likely contributing to an increase in gambling-related harms and problem gambling rates, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences.  UMASS’ Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts, or SEIGMA, was established in 2011 after state lawmakers approved the Expanded Gaming Act, which allowed for the construction of land-based commercial casinos. Since then, SEIGMA has been researching the effects of new legal gambling on the Bay State.

The researchers in SEIGMA's most recent report provide concerning evidence that some trends are heading in the wrong way.

Problem Gambling, Increased Involvement 

Problem gambling rates are rising, according to SEIGMA's 2024 report, which was given to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) last week. The MGC is the state gaming regulatory body that funds the UMASS program.

According to SEIGMA researchers, the percentage of gamblers who suffer from gambling-related issues, like financial difficulties, has increased dramatically from 20.9% in 2022 to 28%. Problem gamblers describe relationship and family issues in addition to financial difficulties.

Over the same period, the percentage of people who bet on sports increased from 16.7% in 2022 to nearly 33% last year. Approximately 25% of monthly gamblers who participated in the SEIGMA study said they had experienced financial difficulties as a result of their involvement, despite the fact that betting with an illegal bookmaker has decreased since 2022 as the public prefers a regulated, protected marketplace.

"These indicators from the monthly gamblers in the online panels are not going in the right direction, which is definitely a concern when considering the impacts of legalized sports betting on the population at large,” said Dr. Rachel Volberg, SEIGMA’s principal investigator and a research professor at the UMASS School of Public Health and Health Sciences.

In many other jurisdictions where it is permitted to gamble on sports online, the data points in Massachusetts are probably comparable.  Sports bettors lost $6.5 billion between January and May 2025, a 13.% rise from the previous year, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).

A 25.4% rise over the previous high of $11.04 billion achieved in 2023, sports bettors lost a record $13.71 billion in 2024.

At $49.78 billion, physical slots and table games also reached an annual high.  With $8.41 in revenue in just seven states (Conn., Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), iGaming also did well.

A Little Positive News

According to a nationwide poll published last month by the National Council on Problem Gambling, hazardous gambling practices that were prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic "have eased."  Nearly 20 million American adults, however, reported engaging in "at least one problematic gambling behavior'many times' in the past year, according to the National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences."

"This research shows that the nationwide efforts in responsible gambling and public awareness are making a positive impact, but the work is far from over,” said Derek Longmeier, president of the NCPG Board of Directors.

“We must build on this momentum by embedding problem gambling into the broader public health infrastructure and investing in what we know works: collaboration across prevention, education, treatment, and research with the support of the government and communities,” Longmeier continued.