Gambling is everywhere now. When does that become a problem?

A new age of gambling means sports betting is more accessible than ever—and there’s little incentive to prevent problem gambling.

Today’s high-rollers no longer need to trek to a casino to play the odds—they just need a smartphone. In the past six years, the gambling landscape has transformed to make it easier than ever to start and continue making bets online.

By Tatyana Woodall

Now categorized as a chronic mental health condition in the DSM-5, problem gambling can be hard to diagnose because of how easy it is to hide. It’s estimated that it affects about 1 percent of Americans, but just like any addiction, long-term gambling can alter the way your brain works, and many problem gamblers have reported feeling stress, anxiety, and depression at the height of it. 

“A lot of times people don’t want to admit that they have a gambling problem,“ says Fong.

Oftentimes, he says, patients have no idea they have an addiction and boil down their losing streaks to merely bad luck. Even if they acknowledge a problem, problem gamblers often contend with shame and avoid asking for help. A lack of research funding makes data on gambling addiction even more hazy.

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