Commonwealth Policy Center

While working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, a psychiatrist downloaded the sports betting app DraftKings. In under a year, she lost $400,000. She’s not alone, as sports betting has grown exponentially in recent years. Last year, Americans bet over $100 billion on sports. Online sports betting is addictive, and it makes life-altering losses fairly common. In Kentucky alone, calls to the gambling addiction hotline tripled after these apps were legalized last October. Companies encourage repeat customers through special promotions and loyalty rewards. Every single one of us, especially society’s most vulnerable, can be prone to gambling addiction. So beware. The lure of gambling riches is an illusion. In reality, there’s a much greater chance of developing an addiction and losing it.