June 23, 2026
(Washington) – A new report on sports betting from Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) policy analyst Chloe Lawrence shines a light on the sports betting industry’s damaging effects. The report explores the problem of online and app-based sports betting, examines its consequences, and describes how policymakers, schools, parents, and churches can respond.
A person no longer has to travel to Vegas, down the road, or even outside his bedroom to bet. The casino has taken on a new form: a six-inch smartphone screen. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association lifted the federal ban in 2018, sports betting has skyrocketed online, especially among young men and boys.
Today, 94% of bets are placed online or using smartphones. In 2017, before the Supreme Court decision in Murphy, Americans bet $4.9 billion on sports. Last year, that number rose to $160 billion, a 32-fold increase in just under 10 years.
The report captures the damaging effects that the massive expansion of sports betting has had on society. This includes increases in the crime rate, detrimental mental health outcomes, an increase in suicide rates, rising rates of gambling addiction, and more.
“As online sports betting increases in prevalence, its negative effects have become too clear to ignore. There is a path forward to reverse Americans’ descent into gambling, and policymakers, schools, parents, and churches each have a role to play. The sooner we recognize and address this problem, the fewer Americans will be targeted and victimized by a predatory industry whose goal is to destroy their lives for profit.” – Chloe Lawrence, EPPC Policy Analyst
The report can be read in full here.
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Media Inquiries:
Hunter Estes
Director of Communications
Ethics and Public Policy Center
[email protected]
