U.S. faces gambling regulation challenge

The main point: As the gaming industry has grown in recent years with widespread sports gambling, some states have set limits to curb problem gambling, but others have very few, in the absence of a nationwide policy or commission overseeing the industry. And even as the industry has evolved, many of the treatment and support services have not.

• A growing number of addiction researchers and policymakers say it is time to take bolder and more unified steps to combat gambling disorders.

The details: Other countries have gone much further in regulating the gambling industry. For example:

• Norway’s government has a monopoly on all slot machines so it can control the types of games offered, and every person who gambles in the country is limited to losing 20,000 kroner (about $2,000) a month.
• In the UK, most adults are limited to betting 5 pounds (about $7) on every spin on a slot machine, and gambling companies are subject to a 1% levy that goes into a fund for treatment and prevention of gambling disorders.
• But: The U.S. has less appetite for corporate regulation.

Plus: People with gambling problems are now skewing younger, and many young men in particular are struggling to find people who understand the particular challenges that sports gambling apps present.

• Services like helplines and Gamblers Anonymous still cater to older adults with casino-based problem gambling.

What’s coming:

• Sen. Blumenthal has cosponsored the SAFE Bet Act, which would impose federal standards on sports betting companies. It proposes a ban on gambling ads during live sporting events, mandatory “affordability checks” for high-spending customers, limits on VIP membership schemes, a ban on AI tracking for marketing, and the creation of a national “self-exclusion” database. The gambling industry is strongly opposed to the bill.
• Some states are also pushing for more regulations (e.g., proposed Bettor Health Act in Massachusetts), but some states may shy away from further regulation because sports betting brings in state tax revenue.
• There are some new treatment/support approaches, including digital support platform Evive, which provides treatment options and connection, and Birches Health, which focuses specifically on young people and online gambling.

Read more: As Sports Betting Explodes, States Try To Set Limits To Stop Gambling Addiction; A New Generation of Gamblers Searches for Help