Public Health Concerns About Online Gambling

Online Gambling, the activity of placing a bet on Internet-based gambling games, has become an increasingly popular hobby for millions of people. In the US alone, it is estimated to be worth about $9.5 billion per year and attracting gamblers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Although the thrill of winning and losing big is the primary draw, Online Gambling also comes with many risks. It can lead to disrupted family, work, and romantic relationships, as well as feelings of withdrawal when it is discontinued. It can also result in serious mental health issues, including gambling disorder.

In the United States, federal laws prohibit online gambling on Indian reservations and impose restrictions on sports betting on sites outside of state boundaries, but these laws are not well enforced. A number of individual states have passed legislation regulating the operation of online gambling, sweepstakes, and fantasy sports games. Some states also have strict gambling-related criminal penalties. However, the Fifth Circuit has ruled that these laws violate the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine and require federal preemption (Missouri ex rel. Coeur d’Alene Tribe v. MasterCard Int’l Inc., 313 F.3d 257 (5th Cir. 2002)).

Several studies have investigated the relationship between Internet gambling and problem gambling. While some have found a link, other analyses have not found such a connection. In one study, for example, LaPlante and colleagues [50**] found that Internet gambling participation is not related to problem gambling severity when other variables are controlled for. These findings suggest that public health concerns based on simplistic analyses may be overstated.