A recent study found that online searches relating to gambling addiction rose nationwide with the growth of legalized sports betting, potentially creating a need for more public health awareness. 

Gambling has increased massively since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling allowing for gambling nationwide. Currently, 38 states and Washington, D.C., permit sports betting, whether in-person or online. North Carolina is one of those states.

According to the American Gaming Association, Americans were set to bet an estimated $1.4 billion on the Super Bowl alone — up from $1.25 billion last year. 

North Carolina residents have wagered more than $3.8 billion since the state legalized sports betting last spring, according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. 

Why it matters: About 5.5% of adults and 10% of youths in North Carolina have problems related to gambling, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Blair Reeves, a co-founder of Carolina Forward, a statewide policy thinktank, said it’s too early to predict what role sports betting will play in expanding problematic gambling in North Carolina. However, he said, early findings suggest that gamblers who wager the highest amounts can least afford it.

“People most likely to bet on sports, and bet recently on sports, typically don’t really have the means to,” Reeves said. 

Also read: Overdraft Kings – the cost of sports betting

Other studies have shown that sports betting has led to a “large uptick” in consumer debt, foreclosures, a drop in credit scores and an increase in rates of domestic violence, Reeves said.

Carolina Forward is advocating for more state restrictions on sports betting. Some of those proposed restrictions, he said, would limit when gamblers can place bets and how much and how they can wager. Some of those restrictions, he said, would be based on a gambler’s income.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 877-718-5543 for help.