Thekabarnews.com—Public health advocates report gambling addiction is reaching dangerous levels in the United States. Meanwhile, the rise of online betting platforms, sports gambling, and prediction markets is continuing to change consumer behavior.

“The situation is out of control and requires immediate policy intervention,” warned Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI).

“Gambling has to be considered a public health issue, not only a personal responsibility issue,” Levant said.

Gambling products are like alcohol and tobacco, he said, and the government should regulate access, speed, and distribution. This is because the product itself creates the risk.

“You regulate the distribution, the speed, the type, the access to the product, because the product is what’s dangerous. The problem is the product, not the people,” said Levant. We have a crisis here,” he said.

The warning comes as sports betting continues to boom across the country. Since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to legalize sports gambling, 39 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized sports betting markets.

At the same time prediction market platforms became extremely popular. The platforms allow users to bet on a wide range of outcomes. For example, these include entertainment awards, geopolitics, celebrity appearances, and concerts.

The operators of such platforms refer to them as financial trading systems, rather than traditional gambling services. But detractors vigorously argue that it’s just gambling masquerading as something else.

The explosion of online betting sites is a risk factor for addiction, particularly among younger users. These users can bet via their smartphones and social media.

Aggressive advertising, celebrity endorsements, and constant notifications from the apps themselves can normalize gambling behavior and promote compulsive participation.

Those who want more regulation want more protections, including rules around advertising, limits on spending, age verification systems, and better addiction treatment services.

Gambling addiction can cause severe financial stress, family breakdown, depression, and long-term psychological damage, mental health professionals say.

“This is not just entertainment anymore. It’s a public health concern,” said one addiction specialist.

But industry reps say regulated markets are safer than illegal gambling operations. They point to the responsible gaming programs already in place.

The existing protections are not enough for the scale and speed of growth in the market. This assertion is especially true as the number of online gambling venues increases, along with the potential for rising addiction rates among users.

However, the proliferation of online gambling sites has intensified the pressure on policymakers to balance economic gains with public health safeguards. This is particularly important in light of the growing risks of gambling addiction and its impact on vulnerable populations.

Gambling should not just be a matter of consumer choice but a serious policy issue that requires stronger national protections.

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