Estudo da UNH associa apostas esportivas online a alta de 23% em chamadas para helpline nos EUA
UNH study links online sports betting expansion to 23% rise in National Problem Gambling Helpline calls and 3.1% increase in related suicide rates. Online betting rose 31% while traditional gambling fell; young men most affected. Comes as New Hampshire advances online casino legislation with projected revenues up to $30m.
SCCG Take — The data requires operators to strengthen real-time responsible gaming tools on mobile platforms. Regulators must balance revenue projections against measurable increases in harm when weighing further digital market access.
A University of New Hampshire study has linked the expansion of online sports betting to a 23 per cent increase in calls to the National Problem Gambling Helpline. The research documented a 31 per cent rise in online and app-based betting as traditional forms declined. Men accounted for 70 per cent of callers, with half aged 18 to 34.
The study recorded a 3.1 per cent increase in suicide rates attributed to problem gambling. It identified younger, unmarried and less-educated men as more likely to develop unhealthy gambling habits. The findings highlight how the shift to digital platforms has altered both the profile of those seeking help and the modes of gambling involved.
Digital Shift and Compulsive Behavior
Gorkem Turgut Ozer, assistant professor of decision sciences at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, served as lead author. Ozer stated that negative consequences manifest primarily when activity shifts online. “The widespread accessibility of mobile gambling coincided with a measurable uptick in problem gambling hotline calls and elevated suicide rates,” he said.
Ozer noted that real-time feedback combined with unrestricted access lowers the threshold for compulsive behavior. “Integrating real-time feedback loops with unrestricted betting access creates an environment with a lower threshold for potential compulsive behaviour,” he said. The study comes as the New Hampshire Senate voted 13-11 in September to advance Senate Bill 104 to legalize online casino gaming. Projections estimate US$5m in revenue in the first year, rising to US$30m by the third, according to reporting by Focus Gaming News.
The Online Access Challenge
The documented correlation between mobile betting accessibility and rises in helpline calls plus suicide rates signals specific risks as more jurisdictions expand digital offerings. Ozer called for better training for gambling providers, greater access to mental health services and targeted support for vulnerable groups. Operators evaluating or operating in these markets face clear incentives to assess how platform design features may amplify the harms identified in the data.
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