Sports Betting Risks: Warning Signs of Gambling Addiction
Jake Newby
| 5 min read
Jake Newby is a brand journalist for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Sports betting – one of the most popular forms of gambling – has grown exponentially in the United States over the past few years. Federally banned until 2018, sports betting is currently legal in 39 U.S. states and Washington D.C.
In the second quarter of 2026, bettors wagered $38.8 billion on sports. The total amount wagered by bettors on sports represents a growth of 7.8% from 12 months earlier, all according to Yahoo Finance.
This massive, year-over-year growth in the sports betting industry can be attributed to its accessibility and widespread exposure. Sports betting on your smartphone is as easy and convenient as it is to play games or use social media. Most online sports books can sync directly with your bank account, allowing for instant deposits and withdrawals. Despite arguable ethical conflicts of interest, sports betting is heavily promoted and advertised by professional and collegiate sporting leagues themselves.
The American Psychological Association (APA) states that while it is too soon to know what the long-term effects will be, evidence suggests young people – especially boys and men – are vulnerable to gambling addiction. This demographic aligns with the demographic most often participating in sports betting, per the APA. Let's learn more about sports betting addiction symptoms and warning signs of a possible gambling disorder.
How does gambling affect your brain?
Gambling can change pathways of the brain that are involved with experiencing reward or excitement, according to the APA. Many of us have made some sort of bet in our lives, but the act of wagering can affect some people differently than others.
Wagering can create a compulsive dynamic that affects your mental, emotional and physical health, according to the Mayo Clinic, which says you could need serious help if your gambling habit becomes an addiction.
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) describes the criteria for gambling disorder as “persistent, recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.” Those who suffer from gambling disorder have trouble controlling gambling.
Gambling problems were previously referred to as pathological gambling and were considered an impulse control disorder until 2013, when the DSM-5 classified them as an addictive disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Effects of sports betting: Symptoms of gambling disorder
An individual exhibiting four or more of the following signs in a one-year period meets the criteria for a gambling disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association:
- Frequent thoughts about gambling (such as reliving past gambling or planning future gambling).
- Need to gamble with increasing amounts to achieve the desired excitement.
- Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back on or stop gambling.
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop gambling.
- Gambling when trying to escape from problems or negative mood or stress.
- After losing an item of value by gambling, feeling the need to continue to get even. (This is referred to as "chasing" one's losses.)
- Lying to hide the extent of gambling involvement.
- Losing important opportunities such as a job or school achievements or close relationships due to gambling.
- Relying on others to help with money problems caused by gambling.
How does sports betting affect mental health?
Gambling disorder can affect more than just your finances. A 2024 study discovered an association between problem sports betting severity among young adults and symptoms of the following mental health issues:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Psychological distress
- Loneliness
- Stress
The study also noted a correlation between sports betting and feelings of dissatisfaction with life, general pessimism and a lack of connectedness and social functioning.
The relationship between sports betting and alcohol use
Research has also found a connection between sports betting and other addictive behaviors, such as alcohol and substance use, with some new studies suggesting sports betting and alcohol abuse are risk factors for each other.
A 2024 study discovered sports gamblers were almost twice as likely to report consuming an excess of alcohol — defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women at a single time — when compared with nongamblers and gamblers who don't bet on sports.
A separate study found the combination of sports betting and alcohol use to amplify risky betting behaviors, a higher frequency of bets and higher wagers placed on bets compared to sports betting without alcohol.
Tips to bet on sports responsibly
The National Institutes of Health has agencies dedicated to problem alcohol use and drug use, but there are no official efforts aimed at problem gambling, and there are no federal regulations against advertisements for sports betting, per the American Psychiatric Association.
If you’d like to continue sports betting, try setting these ground rules:
- Avoid ATM machines or using lines of credit.
- Avoid chasing your losses (making ill-advised bets immediately following a lost bet).
- Don't gamble while drinking alcohol.
- Don't bet on a game you don't understand.
- Set limits within the sports books that utilize this feature.
- Money for placing a wager should come only from your entertainment budget.
- Never borrow money while gambling.
- Never lie about your wins or losses.
- Only bet what you can afford to lose.
If you’d like to quit sports betting, the APA recommends counseling as a way to help people understand gambling and think about how it affects them and their family. It can also help people consider options and solve problems.
Additionally, if you or a loved one is struggling with gambling, reach out to the National Council on Problem Gambling, or call 1-800-522-4700 or 1-800-GAMBLER for 24/7 confidential help. Help is available in every state.
For urgent, immediate support, here is a list of crisis resource facilities open in Michigan. You can also call or text 988.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
