Expanded sports betting fuels fears about gambling addiction

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The imminent expansion of legalized sports betting promises a bonanza for gambling industries and sports leagues. It promises a new roster of worries for experts and organizations already concerned about pervasive problem gambling.

Much of the apprehension relates to the prospect of myriad forms of online sports betting — accessible to gamblers at any time and location via their mobile phones. There’s particular alarm over the anticipated explosion of “in-game wagering” in which gamblers bet, often at a rapid pace, on play-by-play developments.

Prior the U.S. Supreme Court ruling this week, only four states were allowed to offer sports betting and only Nevada offered betting on single games. Now that the court has lifted those bans, there are expectations that most states will offer sports betting within a few years.