New research by the University of Massachusetts has revealed problem gambling is on the rise within the state.
Two online surveys were conducted in spring and fall 2024 by the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) team.
The findings, published on Boston.com, showed increased involvement in sports betting, more intense gambling behavior and a rise in gambling-related harms – also suggesting regular gamblers are forming more negative views about the industry.
More Bettors Starting To Believe Gambling Does More Harm Than Good
The SEIGMA’s principal investigator and Shepidemiology researcher, Rachel Volberg, presented the results to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) at the end of July.
She emphasised that one of the key findings from the surveys was that gamblers are starting to think differently about the activity.
“Between 2022 and 2023, we saw a decline in the proportion of monthly gamblers who believed that all types of gambling should be legal and a small increase in the proportion who believed that all types of gambling should be illegal.”
The percentage of gamblers who believe it causes more harm than good increased from 48% in 2022 to 53% in 2023 and early 2024 before reaching 56% by the end of 2024.
Sports Betting In Massachusetts Continues To Grow In Popularity
Massachusetts sports betting was regulated back in August 2022, a similar survey revealed that 16.7% of respondents gambled on sports.
Offshore sportsbooks were the main avenue for residents of the state but now with regulated options such as DraftKings and FanDuel, participation rose to 26.9% in March 2023 and 32.6% in the latest surveys.
13.5% of those surveyed in 2o22 used offshore sports betting apps to wager, a number which dropped to 6.8% in 2023 before going back up slightly to 8.3% in 2024.
Steady Rise In Gambling-Related Harm Across Massachusetts
Massachusetts is also experiencing a steady rise in gambling-related harm, growing from 20.9% in 2022 to 25.6% in 2023 and 28% in 2024.
Financial issues among gamblers rose from 18% in 2022 to 25% in 2024 while relationship and family-related harms went from 13.9% to 27.2% in the same period.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
