The main point: Experts say there is a growing gambling addiction crisis, but it is yet to be widely recognized by the public, policymakers, and the health care sector.

The details:

Industry growth: The risk has grown as more states have legalized sports betting, and as iGaming, video games, and prediction markets have grown. Those most at risk include young adults, men, and online gamblers.
Lack of research: National problem gambling prevalence is unknown due to a lack of research and funding dedicated to the issue. The last national prevalence study that used a validated measure was published in 1999.
Lack of screening/diagnosis: Most providers are not screening for problem gambling, and because it often co-occurs with other behavioral health conditions that have higher screening and treatment rates, those other conditions are often recorded as the primary diagnosis. It is also excluded from the Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning there is no protection from employer discrimination based on the condition, which may discourage people from seeking the diagnosis.
Lack of funding: Federal funding for gambling disorder is nearly nonexistent, making research infeasible. Like legalization, prevention and treatment have been left to states. Most states are doing the bare minimum, investing $134 million in problem gambling services in 2023 despite reeling in $14.7 billion in gambling tax revenue.
Lack of providers/treatment: Providers are not asking about financial hardship and are unaware of the scale of the problem. Many medical schools do not go in-depth on addiction in general, let alone gambling. There is no mandated national credentialing program for gambling providers. The National Problem Gambling Helpline has seen an increase in calls, texts, and chats, but without investment in care, referrals are limited.

But: The Department of Defense’s medical research program includes gambling disorder for the first time, Congress introduced legislation to increase regulation and to put federal sports betting taxes toward gambling disorder resources, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is working to develop new education on gambling disorder.