RT Crémieux: Gambling disorder cases have started skyrocketing in states where sports betting is legal (this started ~May, 2018) following the end of...
A chart shared by Crémieux shows that gambling disorder cases have risen sharply in US states where sports betting is legal, beginning around May 2018 and accelerating after COVID. In states where sports betting remains illegal, cases have stayed flat over the same period.
Background
- In May 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which had effectively banned sports betting nationwide. Since then, over 30 states have legalized sports gambling.<br />- Crémieux is a pseudonymous data analyst known for posting charts and statistical arguments on social media, often on public health and policy topics. His real identity is not publicly confirmed; he is not an official institution.<br />- "Gambling disorder" is the clinical term (DSM-5) for what is commonly called gambling addiction — compulsive betting despite harmful consequences.<br />- The chart compares two groups of states: those that legalized sports betting post-2018 vs. those that kept it illegal, tracking diagnoses over time. The argument is that legalization correlates with rising gambling addiction cases, and the COVID-era dip (when live sports paused) followed by a surge reinforces the link.