"Men aged 35 or younger who already drink heavily may be even more likely to binge alcohol because of legal online sports betting, a new study has found. The results add to the mounting evidence that to the legalization of online sports gambling and apps could have spillover effects beyond gambling itself, says Keshar Ghimire, the study's senior author and an economist at the University of Cincinnati."
"In the new study, Ghimire and his co-author found that men with a history of binge drinking—defined for men in the study as consuming five or more drinks in one sitting—had a 10 percent increase in the frequency of binge drinking, on average, after online sports betting became legal in their state."
"Gambling apps or websites are designed to make it hard to click away, and bars are popular settings for watching sports. These factors may combine to put men at increased risk."
Since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports gambling in 2018, the industry has grown exponentially, with Americans wagering nearly $41 billion in early 2025. Young men represent the core demographic, with one in four men aged 30 or younger participating in online sports betting. A new study reveals that men with prior binge drinking histories experience a 10 percent increase in binge drinking frequency following legalization in their states. Researchers attribute this correlation to the addictive design of gambling apps and websites combined with bars' popularity as sports-watching venues. These findings contribute to growing concerns about spillover health effects from legalized online sports gambling beyond gambling itself.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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