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A study found higher rates of anxiety and depression diagnoses and related prescriptions in states that legalized online sports betting, according to a CBS19 video report published Oct. 20.
Researchers reported increases of 5% to 7% in prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants, as well as outpatient diagnoses for anxiety and depression, in both men and women.
Researchers compared insurance claims across states
The study examined health insurance claims from January 2016 through December 2023. Researchers compared states where online sports betting became legal with states that had not legalized it by the end of 2023.
The report does not identify the states included in the comparison or provide the full methodology. It also does not name the study’s journal or publication date. Those omissions limit what can be said about the findings beyond the results described in the report.
The reported increases concern diagnoses and prescriptions in insurance claims, not a direct count of bettors who developed mental health conditions.
Report highlights the accessibility of online gambling
Mark Meiselbach described online gambling’s accessibility as a concern: “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.”
The report describes potential gambling-related problems including difficulty controlling behavior, chasing losses, staying up late, constantly checking scores and increased substance use.
It does not identify a Texas-specific finding or report any Texas legislative or regulatory action.
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Source: As reported by CBS19.
This article was created with the assistance of AI and is monitored by our editorial team.
