Gambling disorder diagnoses spike in states that legalized sports betting, study shows

FIRST ON NBC NEWSSports gamblingSports gamblingGambling disorder diagnoses spike in states that legalized sports betting, study showsResearchers analyzed millions of electronic health records and found a major difference between states that greenlit sports gambling and those that didn’t. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Justine Goode / NBC News; Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 26, 2026, 7:02 AM EDTBy Suzy KhimmDiagnoses of gambling disorder rose more than 60% since 2018 in states that have legalized sports betting, with the biggest increase among young men, according to a new study of electronic health records across the U.S.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Gambling disorder is a recognized mental health condition in which patients often cannot stop gambling, despite the growing distress and harm they experience. Sports betting has exploded across the U.S. following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for states to legalize online sportsbooks in 2018. Experts say the findings offer more evidence of potential fallout from the decision — at a time when more online betting sites, like prediction markets, are taking off.The rate of gambling disorder in states with legalized sports betting rose from 3.0 per 100,000 to 4.8 per 100,000, according to Epic Research, a private firm known in the medical field for its research on public health trends. Do you have a story to share with NBC News about problem gambling? You can email Suzy Khimm at suzy.khimm@nbcuni.com or message her on Signal: SuzyKhimm.42 You can also contact NBC News securely here. The group also found that diagnoses of gambling disorders fell in the 11 states that did not legalize sports betting, with cases dropping by about 30% from 2018 to March 2026. Epic’s researchers did not identify a specific reason for the drop. But they noted that changes in health care and the growth of telehealth du...