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A new report by an international commission of 22 health and policy experts warns of gambling’s risks in the era of easy online access. “Our conclusion is clear: gambling poses a threat to public health,” said the report published Thursday in the Lancet Public Health journal. Researchers from the World Health Organization and other institutions across five continents said controlling this growing problem requires “a substantial expansion and tightening of gambling industry regulation.”

Gambling is now available 24/7 to anyone with internet access. The negative effects from gambling are far reaching and go beyond individuals experiencing gambling disorder, impacting families, friends, and society more widely. The digital transformation of the global gambling industry extends its reach to areas with little previous experience of commercial gambling, making it widely accessible even where it is not legally permitted. The Commission makes seven recommendations for achieving lasting and impactful change to control the gambling industry and prioritise public health over economic

Rachel Volberg was interviewed by GBH about the state public health department's $3 million over the coming year to specifically prevent and treat problems with gambling among youth.

Children aren't just gambling on sports. Dr. Rachel Volberg, a research professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has studied gambling for nearly four decades, said there has long been a problem with children gaining access to lottery and scratch tickets.

Rachel Volberg was interviewed for a CommonWealth Beacon story about the financial impacts of the introduction of sports betting in the Commonwealth. “So we’re in the middle of a gigantic social experiment,” she said. 

These are the latest in a series of gambling violations among pro athletes in recent years, after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting in 2018. Although leagues had historically opposed it, betting has become increasingly ingrained in US sports culture.

Newsday interviews gambling research experts including Marc Potenza and SEIGMA principal researcher Rachel Volberg.

SEIGMA principal researcher Rachel Volberg shares thoughts and findings from recent surveys conducted in Massachusetts, including changes in behaviors and attitudes towards gambling. 

The Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health hosted Using Research to Rewrite the Playbook: Examining the Social Impacts of Sports Betting and the Changing Gambling Landscape