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- A Johns Hopkins study linked online sports betting legalization to a 5% to 7% increase in depression and anxiety diagnoses.
- Researchers analyzed employer-sponsored insurance claims from 2016 to 2023, noting rising antidepressant and anti-anxiety prescriptions following expansion.
A new study found that legalizing online sports betting in the United States was associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety diagnoses, along with increased use of related medications, in data spanning 2016 to 2023.
The research matters because it adds a public-health dimension to the rapid expansion of legal betting since the Supreme Court opened the door to state legalization in May 2018. Researchers said the findings suggest online sports betting may have mental-health effects that extend beyond financial harm, though they also cautioned that the data does not show whether the people in the insurance claims dataset actually placed bets. Furthermore, as the broader digital wagering landscape continues to expand across both sportsbooks and regulated online casino platforms, public health officials emphasize the growing need for enhanced consumer protections.
Claims data showed increases in diagnoses and prescriptions
Researchers analyzed employer-sponsored health insurance claims from January 2016 to December 2023. According to the study, legalization was associated with a surge in outpatient mental-health diagnoses in 22 states.
The analysis found larger effects among men, who make up most sports bettors. Legalization was linked to a 6.73% increased likelihood of depression diagnoses in men, compared with 5.47% in women. Anxiety diagnoses rose 7.2% in men and 6.5% in women.
Prescription patterns also increased after legalization. The study linked legalization to a 5.44% higher probability of antidepressant use among men and 5% among women. For anti-anxiety drugs, women saw a slightly larger increase: 5.17% versus 4.99% for men.
The study found no significant increase in substance use disorder diagnoses or emergency room visits for depression or anxiety.
Researchers say gambling harms may go beyond money lost
Mark Meiselbach, a senior author on the study and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins, said the results should serve as a warning for both clinicians and bettors.
> “I hope these results will increase awareness among psychiatrists and primary care doctors who treat mental health, as well as online sports bettors themselves, that these online apps can lead to harms beyond financial risks,” Meiselbach said.
Ben Westermeyer, the study’s first author and a PhD candidate in Meiselbach’s research group, said the findings support broader concerns around legalized online gambling.
> “Overall, these findings support the concern that there are broad mental health effects of online gambling legalization, though those who are experiencing those effects, and their clinicians, don’t necessarily attribute it to gambling,” Westermeyer said.
What the study does and does not show
Sports betting has become legal in 39 states since the 2018 court ruling, making the study relevant to a large share of the U.S. market. Still, the researchers said the insurance claims data has limits.
Most importantly, the dataset did not capture whether a person actually bet on sports. The study also covered only people with employer-sponsored health insurance, and the researchers said future work should include more targeted analysis and people outside that population.
Separate research has also found that gambling disorder diagnoses in the U.S. have risen by more than 60% since 2018, adding to the broader debate over the costs of expanded legal betting. As these public health concerns continue to surface alongside increased digital access, advocates and operators alike stress the ongoing necessity of robust responsible gaming programs and support resources.
Source: As reported by the-independent.com.
