Gambling and your quality of life

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Gambling isn't new, but with the advent of online betting, it's easier than ever to place money down on a game.

"We've never seen gambling and, and sports betting and other forms of gambling be more accessible or, or really inescapable than they are now," says Mark Meiselback. He works with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of public health, and says that's one reason why he and other researchers started this study. It compares health insurance claims from January of 2016 to December of 2023. IT's a period they say online sports betting became legal in many states. That same data was compared to claims in states that did not legalize the pastime by the end of 2023.

"We found in both men and women, anywhere between a 5 to 7%. Increase in both prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants, as well as diagnosis in an outpatient setting for also for depression and anxiety," Meiselback adds.

For most people, gambling is an infrequent activity done for fun. For others, it can become a disorder. Meiselbach says sports betting can lead to an inability to control gambling behavior.

Late nights chasing losses, betting on games in other countries, and constantly checking scores can lead to increased substance use and mental health consequeces.

"With so many people being exposed, it's possible that issues will arise among many people," Meiselbach adds. He hopes that through research, doctors can see a need for gambling addiction screenings, people using apps become more aware of potential consequences, and policies are put in place to help prevent potential harms.

If you or someone you know needs help for problems gambling, there are free, confidential resources available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The national problem gambling helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.