As of 2026, online sports betting is legal within 32 states in the United States, online casinos are legal in eight states and so-called prediction markets like Kalshi are available in all 50 states. With this new online gambling craze comes enormous economic losses. In 2023, Americans wagered a staggering $121 billion, with 94% of those wagers occurring online. What was once a heavily state-regulated industry confined to the deserts of Las Vegas is now becoming the fastest-growing public health catastrophe of the 21st century.
The meteoric rise in online betting isn’t a triumph of commerce or personal autonomy; it is addiction run amok. What was previously limited to physical casinos is now just one click away on phones and computers. The endless ads, commercials and displays of online gambling have all but forced a portable, 24/7 casino into the faces of teenagers, single moms and recovering addicts.
Some argue that these sites and apps are nothing but an innocent escape — a quick bet at the end of a long day of work to alleviate stress. This could not be further from the truth. Research into pre- and post-legalization of online sports betting showed a pronounced increase in online searches for gambling addiction after Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, which legalized online sports betting. Others argue that online sports betting is not a serious issue, claiming it creates a more equal playing field — at least, that’s what the ads keep telling us. However, a study in 2024 found that only a shocking 4.6% of gamblers withdrew more money than they deposited. One in four sports bettors say they could not pay a bill because of their gambling, while one in three say they have accumulated debt due to their gambling.
We know that gambling addiction can lead to relationship, health and financial problems and can even cause suicide attempts. It is inconceivable to me that in the face of so many horror stories, the government hasn’t done more to curb online gambling. The industry continues expanding, like a growing mass of tentacles, unfulfilled until its slimy tendrils have made their way into every American family’s wallet. During nearly every major sporting event, from the Super Bowl to the NFL to the NBA, viewers are bombarded with ads and commercials from degenerate gambling sites promising ‘bonus cash’ and ‘risk-free bets.’ These offers are borderline misleading and damaging to the general audience.
The consequences are unacceptable and have already rippled across neighborhoods and communities. Rent money disappears, credit card debt piles up and bank accounts are drained. Horror story after horror story emerges as these gambling and betting sites siphon money from the most vulnerable communities and funnel it toward faceless corporations and their shareholders.
We have seen this before. Tobacco companies once marketed cigarettes as harmless and opioids were deemed acceptable to prescribe en masse. The only difference is that gambling is not a new enemy. Gambling is arguably one of humanity’s earliest sins, dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. However, we have allowed this issue to rise from the ashes and enter the age of the internet.
Congress must take immediate and forceful action to curb the influence of gambling before it destroys a generation. Like tobacco, gambling leads to addiction and serious mental health effects. Gambling sites, casinos and sports betting apps should adequately warn participants about the dangers of gambling. The normalization of gambling culture should be stopped dead in its tracks, and no ad or commercial featuring online gambling or sports betting should be promoted on TV or elsewhere. States should seek to halt, if not reverse, the consequences of permitting online sports betting. If we continue down this path unchecked, the true cost of our society’s wagers will not be measured in dollars lost, but in human lives. The house always wins, and we will pay the price.
