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SEIGMA News

Safe Bet: Is Mass. fulfilling its problem-gambling mandate?

November 10, 2023 -- Massachusetts

Gambling legislation in Massachusetts requires a portion of revenues to be used to reduce the damage caused by expanded gambling. In a new series of three reports, NEPM reporter Karen Brown takes a closer look at where that money is going. Part one examines GameSense and the secondary and tertiary prevention done at casinos to try to identify and help people who are experiencing gambling harms. Part two takes a closer look at the state's Department of Public Health and how they are spending money for prevention and treatment. Part three focuses on the state's research agenda on legalized gambling, and features conversations with our team's principal investigator, Dr. Rachel Volberg.

Find the full coverage here.

Dr. Volberg presents at Gaming Conference in Nigeria

Lagos, Nigeria -- November 1, 2023

Dr. Rachel Volberg gave a presentation at the 2023 National Lottery Regulatory Commission's (NLRC) International Gaming Conference in Lagos, Nigeria. The conference examined the sports betting sector and the legal framework regulating gambling. Here is an overview of what was discussed at the conference, and here is another on discussions about how to curb money laundering and terrorist financing. Dr. Volberg's presentation can be found here.

Visualizing the sports betting explosion

Chart showing which states legalized sports betting and when, as well as tax revenues

September 07, 2023 -- Washington, DC

Axios featured a nice visualization of which states have legalized sports betting and when, as well as how much they have received in taxes. The bottom line is delivered by SEIGMA's principal investigator, Rachel Volberg: "We are in the midst of one of the most explosive expansions of legalized gambling that the United States has seen in many, many years." Find the chart and additional information here.
 
 

A short history and possible future of gambling in the U.S.

Vox logo

September 07, 2023 -- Washington, DC

Gambling in the United States has been fast expanding in terms of the modalities permitted (sports gambling, online gambling), the number of places where it's permitted and practiced (>1,000 casinos in >40 states), and the acceptability of the practice among the general public (it wasn't long ago that gambling was associated with the mafia and corrupt practices). In "The NFL season opener is also the kickoff for the biggest gambling season ever", journalist Dylan Scott dives into the history and changes in gambling, the risks involved, and its possible future. The article makes good use of our recent report on legalized sports betting, as well as other research sources.

What is going on with sports betting nationally?

August 10, 2023 -- London, UK

Across the United States, sports betting / gambling has exploded in terms of availability, accessibility and marketing. Regulations vary significantly across states, where a handful of companies dominate the national market. This explosion has brought increases in tax revenues for states, and also increases in problem gambling.

In the Financial Times, Oliver Barnes takes a deep dive (interviewing Rachel Volberg among others) into what is going on with sports betting, nationally: "The dark side of the US sports betting boom"

Rhode Island and Sports Betting

June 12, 2023 -- Providence, RI

Rachel Volberg was interviewed by the Rhode Island Current about sports betting and problem gambling for the news story "R.I. fears missing out on sports betting revenue. Is it prepared to address problem gambling?". SEIGMA research has found that the rate of problem gambling is higher among sports betters than among the general population. “Sports betters tend to be pretty enthusiastic gamblers,” she said. “And they’re often involved in a broad range of gambling."

The state always wins when it comes to gambling, critics say

June 08, 2023 -- Boston, MA

Rachel Volberg spoke to Sue O'Connell on GBH Boston News about expanded gambling in the state and gambling advertising.

“We are in the midst of one of the most explosive expansions of legalized gambling that the United States has seen in many, many years,” said Volberg. “So, you don't often hear about policymakers or anybody else really wanting to eliminate or reduce the number of gambling outlets.”

Watch the YouTube video of the news program or read the story here.

Should the lottery expand its offerings to increase profits?

CommonWealth magazine logo

June 1, 2023 -- Boston, MA

Massachusetts lottery officials are concerned that sports gambling will reduce the amount of money people spend on the lottery and are looking to expand their offerings with more expensive scratch tickets and an online lottery. Spending over $800 per year on lottery products, Massachusetts residents have the highest per capita spending in the country (and possibly the world), which is almost twice that of the next state (New York).

This thoughtful piece looks at the research and both sides of the debate.

Since mobile sports betting recently became legal in Mass., advocates worry it could increase problem gambling

The Boston Globe logo

April 2, 2023 -- Boston, MA

Concerns are being raised as to how the legalization of online sports gambling will impact the rates of problem gambling in Massachusetts. In this Boston Globe report many local and national experts and stakeholders - including SEIGMA's Principal Investigator Rachel Volberg - are interviewed to gauge the impact. Note: The article may be behind a paywall.

Read the Boston Globe story here.

Attorney General Sounds Alarm on Mass. Sports Betting Ads

March 9, 2023 -- Boston, MA

NBC10 Boston and WBUR reported on a memo sent to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission detailing the Attorney General's concerns with the launch of mobile sports betting on March 10th. Representatives of the Attorney General's office gave testimony at the MGC's Open Meeting on March 9, 2023. Several of SEIGMA's reports were referenced in the memo highlighting the significantly higher risk of problem and at-risk gambling among sports bettors. 

Read the NBC10 Boston story here and the WBUR story here. 

Pages

Topics for Debate

On the need for a public health approach when regulating gambling

November 11, 2023

The Lancet published an editorial titled "Gambling: a harmful commodity", which criticizes the 'personal responsibility' approach to minimizing gambling harms, while advocating "robust wide-reaching regulation and legislation in response, based on the approaches used for tobacco and alcohol control" that can keep up with the gambling industry's changes.

Anticipating risks from integrating AI and AR into gambling

September 25, 2023

As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) is becoming more widespread, it is important to anticipate how industries might use these tools to increase their profits. Newall and Torrance try to anticipate some of the ways the gambling industry may use these technologies in this possibly prescient article.

What is the risk to college athletes with legalized sports gambling?

August 20, 2023

A survey conducted by the NCAA showed that a majority of students living on-campus are frequently engaging in sports gambling, even though the majority are underage. This opinion piece by Adam Minter looks at the role the NCAA should play in addressing sports gambling among college students.

Legislators have started reigining in sports betting advertising after the initial rush 

May 13, 2023

Online gambling advertising increased by 70% nationally in 2022, much of it sports gambling advertisements. The torrent of ads has persuaded many legislators to regulate the quantity and type of sports gambling advertising that is permitted. The New York Times takes a closer look at what happened, here.

Can North Carolina's proposed online sports betting legislation be improved? 

May 11, 2023

Two students at UNC-Chapel Hill have taken a close look at North Carolina's HB 347 - a bill that would legalize online sports gambling. In this thoughtful policy brief, the bill is compared with legislation passed in other states, and the authors consider how the bill could be improved to provide greater benefit to North Carolinians. Read the policy brief here.

As March Madness looms, growth in legalized sports betting may pose a threat to college athletes

March 10, 2023

The Conversation discusses the impact of legalized sports betting on college athletes. "The risk for addiction on campus is real. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, over 2 million adults in the U.S. have a “serious” gambling problem, and another 4 million to 6 million may have mild to moderate problems. One report estimates that 6% of college students have a serious gambling problem."

Are sports gamblers at greater risk for problem gambling? Can they find help?

February 9, 2023

Millions of people are expected to gamble in the Superbowl. In the Conversation, Lia Nower presents findings from New Jersey suggesting young sports gamblers are at increased risk of losing money and developing problem gambling. Also in the Conversation, James Whelan looks at some of the challenges in finding and financing treatment for problem gambling, and the lack of funding for research into gambling disorders.

 

Gambling Disorder Screening Day is Tuesday, March 14, 2023

February 9, 2023

The Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction has prepared an extensive toolkit with resources and information on gambling disorder, including an easy screener anyone can administer.

 

New York Times reporting on changing gambling practices

December 26, 2022

A personal account of a reporter signing up for sports betting and and a piece on casinos targetting older Asian gamblers are among the new thought provoking journalism published in the New York Times.

Read about sports gambling here and Asians at casinos here.

 

Key findings from The Times' investigation of sports betting

November 20, 2022

The New York Times examined thousands of pages of documents and interviewed lobbyists, executives, lawmakers, regulators and others to understand how the sports-betting industry grew so big so fast. 

Read the full story here. 

 

The introduction of a Las Vegas-style resort casino in New York City

June 5, 2022

The New York Times reports on the recent decision of state lawmakers to allow the introduction of full-service casinos in the New York City area. What are the implications of this venture? What could be the economic benefits and social impacts?

Read the full story here. 

 

Can gambling juice fandom for women’s sports?

March 11, 2020 

The Conversation asks whether or not gambling on women's sports could level the playing field. 
"As researchers and teachers who have focused on gender equality and women’s sports, we wonder if there might be new ways to market women’s sports that engages more fans. Specifically: Could gambling and fantasy sports help narrow the gap?" Read the full story here. 

    Data Spotlight

    Check out the new data tool created by the Pioneer Valley Data Collaborative: "A one-stop shop for accessible, customizable information that provides the public, nonprofits, municipalities, and charitable foundations with a user-friendly tool to examine and assess a wide range of regional metrics." pioneervalleydata.org/

     

     

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