C-Force: The Stakes Are Raised as Gambling Grows

As a sports fan, I have felt for some time now the inescapable and escalating presence of slickly presented pathways to placing a wager or two, or more, on a sports outcome. It's become a relatively new and accepted form for nationally advertised opportunities beckoning folks to place a wager at their convenience, virtually any time, day or night. Long gone are the days when such activity was customarily confined to casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. That's ancient history. Gambling opportunities today exist practically everywhere and are said to be reaching new levels worldwide. As recently reported in the Lancet Public Health journal, as access to gambling has expanded, public health expert's concerns have grown and more people will give it a try, and some will develop gambling problems as a result. "Our conclusion is clear," say the authors of the report. "Gambling poses a threat to public health."

The report comes to us from an international commission of 22 health and policy experts who, according to NBC News, also conclude that "existing regulations globally are insufficient to protect the public from the potential harms of widely accessible gambling."

A recent survey conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University reveals that "ten percent of young men in the U.S. show behavior that indicates a gambling problem, compared to 3% of the general population." Dan Cassino, executive director of the survey and professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, says "gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers, it's just that," but "there's always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors, and online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds."

"Gambling is legal in some capacity in more than 80% of countries worldwide, according to the (Lancet Public Health) report," an NBC News article reads. "The authors estimated that 16% of adults and 26% of adolescents who use online casino or slot products have gambling disorders and that 9% of adults and 16% of adolescents who use sports betting products have such disorders."

NBC News reports that, since the Supreme Court struck down a previous ban in 2018, "38 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized sports betting. ... Thirty states permit and regulate mobile sports betting. A 2022 Pew Research survey found that 19% of U.S. adults had placed sports bets either in person or online in the last year. ... Beyond financial losses, gambling can lead people to lose their jobs, relationships or health and raise the risks of suicidality and domestic violence, the (Lancet Public Health) report said."

A representative for FanDuel, one of the sports gambling industry's leaders, explained to NBC that it "fully supports a regulated marketplace that protects customers and delivers significant tax revenue to states" and that it is "helping to lead continued discussions across the industry that prioritize creating best practices to protect customers." NBC reports that "DraftKings, which declined to comment, offers similar protections."

"In its report, the Lancet commission criticized governments worldwide for paying too little attention to the harms of gambling and not implementing sufficient gambling-related public health protections," NBC News reports. "The authors recommended that leaders adopt policy frameworks that put the onus on gambling businesses, instead of gamblers, to minimize harm."

"Anyone with a mobile phone now has access to what is essentially a casino in their pocket, 24 hours a day," says Heather Wardle, the commission's co-chair and a professor of gambling research and policy at the University of Glasgow.

"Worldwide, nearly 450 million adults participate in what's called 'risk gambling,' which can impact finances, mental health, relationships and work, according to the report," a USA Today article reads. "Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications at the American Gaming Association ... said the gambling industry has worked diligently with state regulators to foster a safe and responsible environment. ... According to the gaming association, the industry has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to promote responsible gaming."

Dr. Timothy W. Fong, a professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, says gambling's effects on the mind, body and brain were accelerated during the pandemic.

"There's a wide range of consequences that comes with gambling disorder," Fong says, "but the common problems we see when people come into treatment are going to be things like large financial debt, a loss of time, loss of productivity and damaged relationships."

According to a UCLA Health report, "Dr. Fong noted that studies have found when people struggle with gambling disorder, chances are they are going to have related health problems stemming from stress, lack of sleep and even heart problems. Much of those health issues are associated with large debts accrued from gambling and from not taking time for self-care or health maintenance.

"Dr. Fong, however, highlighted a significant contrast between gambling and addictive substances. ... Like addictive drugs such as cocaine, heroin, nicotine and alcohol, gambling activates the brain's reward system, which is powered by dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter inside the brain that reinforces sensations of pleasure and connects those sensations to certain behaviors or actions."

"Gambling, unlike any other addiction, is associated with cognitive distortions," Fong says. "People say, 'If I keep gambling then eventually, I'll win.' You don't say that about alcohol, tobacco or cocaine."

"Dr. Fong explained that people with gambling disorder psychologically view gambling as the answer to their problems," UCLA Health reports. "When they are at this point with their addiction, gambling is no longer seen as entertainment. They now view gambling as a means to cope with anxiety or stress, or as their primary source of income."

As a point of reference, Business of Apps, which describes itself as "the leading B2B media and information platform," reports that FanDuel generated $3.23 billion revenue in 2022, a 62% increase on the previous year. FanDuel represents just one of the leading online gambling platforms. But this revenue mention also represents an opportunity to remind folks of a well-known and often-used refrain when it comes to gambling: "The house always wins."

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