Gambling in America: research and recovery.
Sports betting, online casinos and prediction markets have spread across the country faster than almost anyone expected. We track the research on what that growth is doing to people, and what recovery looks like.
America's Gambling Boom: How Legal Betting Exploded Since 2018
Legal sports betting spread to 40 states in less than a decade and set a record $167 billion wagered in 2025. Here is what changed and what it is costing people.
Kalshi, Polymarket and the Hidden Cost of Prediction Markets
Prediction markets are marketed as trading, but most users lose money. What the latest research shows and why clinicians are concerned.
What Legal Sports Betting Is Doing to Americans' Finances
Research on millions of credit reports links online sports betting to more bankruptcies, collections and lower credit scores.
Signs Your Sports Betting Has Become a Problem
Chasing losses, hiding bets and borrowing money. How to recognize when betting has crossed the line, and what to do next.
Further reading
Trusted outside research and reporting on gambling in the United States.
- National Council on Problem GamblingNational advocacy group and home of the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline
- NCPG 2025 Helpline Annual ReportWho is calling for help, and why
- American Gaming Association: 2025 revenueRecord sports betting handle and revenue
- The Financial Consequences of Legalized Sports GamblingUCLA and USC study of credit data
- How Sports Betting Can Harm Young MenAmerican Institute for Boys and Men
- Sports betting and financial woesStateline overview of recent studies
- The typical Polymarket userPew Research Center, 2026
- Therapists see more young patients, blame KalshiLAist, 2026
- Kalshi joins the National Council on Problem GamblingAxios, 2026
- Kalshi loses Sixth Circuit appealThe Block, 2026
- Where sports betting is legalForbes state-by-state guide
- Arizona Department of GamingArizona betting data and self-exclusion
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Outpost Recovery is preparing to open in-person residential and outpatient treatment in Arizona, built only for gambling disorder, including sports betting and prediction market losses. All inquiries are confidential.
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