It started small. A few euros on the weekend games. Then the rent money was "borrowed" for a sure bet that would pay it back double. Then came the second credit card, the lies about where the money went, and the knot in your stomach every time your phone shows a bank notification. Gambling harm rarely arrives all at once. It creeps.
The money: savings out, debt in
Some of the clearest evidence comes from the US, where researchers could compare states before and after online sports betting became legal.
One study followed the bank transactions of about 230,000 households. Once online betting arrived, households didn't spend less on other things or on other gambling to pay for it. Instead, money that would have gone into savings and investments went into bets. Net investment fell by nearly 14%, and for every $1 bet, households put about $2 less into investment accounts. The damage was concentrated in households already short of money, which saw more credit card debt, less available credit and more overdrafts.
A second study, using credit records of millions of Americans, found that legalisation was followed by increases in bankruptcies, debts sent to collection agencies and debt consolidation loans. The effects were stronger in states that allowed betting online rather than only in person.
People are noticing. After sports betting spread in the US, online searches for help with gambling addiction were 23% higher than expected, an estimated 6.5 to 7.3 million searches over six years.
The secrecy and the shame
Unlike alcohol, gambling doesn't show on your face or your breath. You can lose a month's salary in a bathroom stall with no one noticing. That's what makes it so isolating. Many people hide losses from partners and parents, invent excuses for missing money, and promise themselves "one more win and I'll stop." The secrecy protects the habit, but it also cuts people off from the support that could help them, and the people around them often feel the harm long before they understand the cause.
Partners notice the mood swings, the phone kept face-down, the sudden irritability after a match. Parents notice money missing or a young person who seems anxious all the time. Friends notice someone who always seems to need a loan "just until Friday." Often, everyone senses something is wrong long before anyone names it. When the truth finally comes out, the broken trust can hurt as much as the money.
There's also the cost in time and attention: hours spent checking scores, odds and balances, and evenings when you're physically present but mentally "in the game." Gambling can quietly take over the space that used to belong to sleep, hobbies and people.
The mind: it rarely travels alone
When gambling becomes a disorder, it often comes with other struggles. In a Finnish study of everyone diagnosed with gambling disorder over more than a decade, 88.5% also had at least one other mental health diagnosis, such as depression, anxiety or substance problems. Sometimes gambling is an escape from those feelings. Sometimes the losses and lies create them. Usually it's both, in a loop.
The most serious risk, and why it's a reason to speak up early
This part is hard to read, but it matters. A 2025 study of Norwegian health records followed nearly 7,000 people diagnosed with gambling disorder. Their risk of suicide was about five times higher than the general population's, and suicide accounted for one in four deaths in this group. These are people whose gambling had become serious enough to be diagnosed in health services, so the figures describe the severe end, not everyone who bets. But the message is clear: debt, shame and feeling there's no way out are a dangerous mix, and they are most dangerous when carried alone. Reaching out early, before it gets that far, changes the story.
Key numbers
- $2 less saved for every $1 bet: betting apps eat into savings, not into other spending. Baker et al., 2026
- Almost 9 in 10 people diagnosed with a gambling disorder also live with another mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety. Salonen et al., 2025
- 300,000+ times in one year, people in Germany asked to be blocked from gambling, almost always on their own initiative. Meyer, 2025
There is a way back
Here's the hopeful part: many people do get control back. In Germany, there were over 300,000 requests to the national self-exclusion system in 2024, and almost 97% came from the gamblers themselves. That's a huge number of people saying "I need a wall between me and this." Therapy, especially cognitive behavioural therapy, along with blocking software, handing over control of money for a while, and simply telling one trusted person, all help. The first honest conversation is usually the hardest step, and the most powerful.
Quick self-check
- Have you used money meant for bills, rent or savings to gamble?
- Have you lied about how much you gamble or how much you've lost?
- Do you feel anxious when you check your bank balance?
- Have you ever felt that a big win is the only way out of your situation?
- Has gambling caused tension with your partner, family or friends?
This is not a diagnosis. But if you recognised yourself in these, please don't carry it alone.
If gambling is hurting you or someone you love, talk to a doctor, psychologist or support service. If you ever have thoughts of ending your life, please reach out right away: in Greece, call the 24-hour suicide helpline 1018, or 112 in an emergency.
References
- Baker, S. R., Balthrop, J., Johnson, M. J., Kotter, J. D., & Pisciotta, K. (2026). Gambling away stability: Sports betting's impact on vulnerable households. Journal of Financial Economics, 183, 104330. doi:10.1016/j.jfineco.2026.104330 (working paper: NBER w33108, 2024, nber.org)
- Kellogg Insight (n.d.). "Online sports betting is draining household savings." Northwestern University. insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu
- Hollenbeck, B., Larsen, P., & Proserpio, D. (2026). The financial consequences of legalized sports gambling. Management Science. Advance online publication. doi:10.1287/mnsc.2025.02515
- Yeola, A., Allen, M. R., Desai, N., Poliak, A., Yang, K. H., Smith, D. M., & Ayers, J. W. (2025). Growing health concern regarding gambling addiction in the age of sportsbooks. JAMA Internal Medicine, 185(4), 382–389. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.8193
- Salonen, A. H., Latvala, T. A., Vuori, M., Levola, J., Castrén, S., & Grönroos, T. (2025). Gambling disorder and increased psychiatric comorbidity: A Finnish register-based study. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (NAT), 42(5–6), 424–446. doi:10.1177/14550725251380172
- Kristensen, J. H., Baravelli, C. M., Leino, T., Pallesen, S., Griffiths, M. D., & Erevik, E. K. (2025). Association between gambling disorder and suicide mortality: A comparative cohort study using Norwegian health registry data. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, 48, 101127. doi:10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101127
- Meyer, G. (2025). Mandatory third-party exclusion of individuals with gambling problems in Germany: Data from the OASIS player exclusion system. Journal of Gambling Studies, 41(4), 1631–1643. doi:10.1007/s10899-025-10427-6
- Wardle, H., Degenhardt, L., Marionneau, V., et al. (2024). The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling. The Lancet Public Health, 9(11), e950–e994. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00167-1
About these sources
These 7 sources were published between 2024 and 2026. Reliability: 6 high, 1 medium. High means a review of many studies, a large experiment or long-term study, or official data checked in the original. Medium means useful evidence with real limits, such as a small sample, a single point in time, or no peer review. How we choose and check sources.
Educational guidance, not diagnosis or medical care.