University of Maryland Signals Alarm Over Increase in Gambling Disorders

Researchers from the University of Maryland have published new research in which they indicate that there has been a steady increase in the number of people experiencing gambling-related harm and, specifically, developing a gambling disorder.

The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine tied the increase to the legalization of online sports gambling, which arrived in 2022, leading to an increase in the number of Marylanders who experience a gambling disorder – 5.7% presently from 4% before legalization.

New Study Suggests an Increase in People with Gambling Disorder

To reach this conclusion, researchers used a sample size of 3,600 respondents, querying them about their gambling habits.

Dr. Christopher Welsh, medical director at The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling and Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM,  has explained that gambling addiction was a serious issue that was on par with other, better-documented addictive behaviors, such as substance and alcohol abuse.

“It’s very similar to other addictions so looking at compulsive gambling you can’t stop even if you are having issues like losing money, people don’t actually think about it, but you can have withdrawal from gambling the same way you can from alcohol people actually get jittery.”

Gambling addiction can be even more harmful than other addictive behaviors, Welsh said, citing the fact that people who go to great lengths to gamble and feel compulsive about the activity could end up hurting family members and friends by seeking money, or even resorting to crime to secure the funds to continue gambling.

Gambling Addiction Impacts People Same Way Substance Abuse Does

Welsh argued that these behaviors were rooted in physiological factors, and people who were addicted to gambling had the same brains as those people hooked on cocaine, for example.

“Suicide rates, both attempted and actually completed suicides, are highest in people with gambling addiction and higher than other types of addiction, which have high rates,” he added, clarifying the issue. Maryland is hardly an outlier in experiencing an increase in gambling disorders following the legalization of sports betting and iGaming.

A similar concern was expressed by West Virginia experts who cited rising numbers of addiction among youth and student-athletes.

However, another argument runs that because of gambling legalization and better regulation, the people who experience gambling disorders are now better identified. I.e., legalization may be finally bringing those people who need help into the limelight rather than driving the number of addicts up.