Research & Education
Gambling addiction by the numbers — clinical criteria, peer-reviewed research, and educational resources. The GAMeetingFinder team actively curates the latest research, news coverage, and recovery tools, because historically problem gambling metrics are stale and outdated.
If you or someone you know needs help, find a virtual GA meeting
Global Gambling Statistics
Sources: NCPG NGAGE 3.0 (2025), Lancet Public Health Commission (2025), WHO, H2 Gambling Capital, JAMA Internal Medicine
The global gambling crisis by the numbers. Data from the world's leading public health organizations reveals the scale of harm caused by commercial gambling.
450M
People worldwide harmed by gambling — 80M with full gambling disorder
Lancet Public Health Commission, 2025
20M
American adults with at least one problematic gambling behavior
NCPG NGAGE 3.0, June 2025
$150B
Legally wagered on sports in the U.S. in 2025 — up from $5B in 2018
NCPG / STAT News, 2025
48%
Men ages 18–49 with at least one online sportsbook account
NCPG NGAGE 3.0, 2025
60%
Share of gambling industry revenue that comes from problem gamblers
Lancet Public Health Commission, 2025
15×
More likely to die by suicide than the general population
WHO / Journal of Gambling Studies, 2025
$643B+
Global gross gambling revenue in 2025
H2 Gambling Capital, 2025
6%
Adults worldwide estimated to have a gambling disorder
WHO / The Lancet Public Health, 2024
Annual Gambling Losses by Country (Gross Gaming Revenue, USD Billions)
Sources: American Gaming Association, UK Gambling Commission, H2 Gambling Capital. 2024 = actual; 2025 = estimate; 2026 = projection. GGR = money wagered minus winnings returned to players.
In the News
Recent reporting from major outlets on the growing gambling crisis — 2026
See all 59 stories
Addiction Help
Gambling Addiction Statistics 2026: Prevalence and Harm
Addiction Help's 2026 statistics roundup, reviewed by a physician, pulls together the current global and U.S. numbers on gambling harm. Among the headline findings from recent pooled research: roughly 1 in 19 people worldwide now gambles at a level that causes harm (about 1.9% globally and 5.3% in North America), and problem-gambling rates climb sharply wherever access has expanded. But the page also carries a genuinely hopeful figure that rarely makes headlines: across two large national U.S. surveys, about 1 in 3 people who once met the criteria for gambling disorder had no symptoms in a given year — evidence that recovery, including without formal treatment, is common. The piece is a useful, plainly sourced reference for anyone trying to understand both the scale of the problem and the real chances of recovery.
Read & discuss
Vice
Gambling Disorder Diagnoses Are Skyrocketing Among Americans Following Legalization, Study Finds
Vice reports on new Epic Research data showing that clinical diagnoses of gambling disorder have jumped more than 60% in states that legalized sports betting between 2018 and early 2026 — while holding flat or falling in states that didn't. Drawing on de-identified records from a large share of U.S. medical charts, the analysis found the steepest increases among men ages 18 to 29, the same group sportsbooks court most aggressively. Because it counts formal medical diagnoses rather than survey self-reports, the study offers unusually concrete epidemiological evidence for the link researchers have long predicted between legal access and measurable harm. The 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal sports-betting ban is the dividing line running through every number.
Read & discuss
Peer-Reviewed Research
Selected literature on gambling disorder — clinical studies, neuroscience, and treatment outcomes
See all 24 studies
Off-Label and Investigational Drugs in the Treatment of Gambling Disorder: A Critical Review
A critical review of the medications studied for gambling disorder, for which no drug is yet officially approved. The opioid antagonists naltrexone and nalmefene emerged as the most evidence-supported — one trial classified 55% of patients as “very much improved,” with gains visible as early as 3 weeks — and patients with the strongest urges responded best to higher doses. Lithium showed marked benefit for those with co-occurring bipolar conditions (83% responders vs. 29% on placebo).
View on Frontiers
Relapse in Disordered Gambling: A Systematic Review from a Biopsychosocial Perspective
A systematic review synthesizing empirical research from 2015–2026 on what drives relapse in gambling disorder, organized across biological, psychological, and social factors. The authors map the relapse evidence to help clinicians anticipate high-risk moments and strengthen the parts of treatment that protect long-term recovery.
View Article
Factors Associated with the Frequency of Treatment Admissions Over a 13-Year Period Among Patients with Gambling Disorder
Analysis of 2,341 patients with gambling disorder across 14 Quebec addiction centers (2009–2022). Close to half — 42% — had two or more treatment admissions, averaging 3.1 admissions about 20 months apart. More frequent re-admission tracked with markers of greater severity, including chronic gambling disorder and online gambling.
View on Springer
DSM-5: Gambling Disorder
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) — American Psychiatric Association
Clinical Classification
Gambling Disorder is recognized in the DSM-5 as a behavioral addiction — the only non-substance behavioral addiction formally classified in this category. A diagnosis requires at least 4 of the following 9 criteria within a 12-month period, with the behavior not better explained by a manic episode.
View the 9 Diagnostic Criteria ↓
- 1Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement (tolerance).
- 2Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling (withdrawal).
- 3Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling.
- 4Is often preoccupied with gambling (e.g., reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next venture, thinking of ways to get money to gamble).
- 5Often gambles when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed).
- 6After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even ("chasing" losses).
- 7Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.
- 8Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling.
- 9Relies on others to provide money to relieve desperate financial situations caused by gambling (bailout).
Mild
4–5 criteria
Moderate
6–7 criteria
Severe
8–9 criteria
Educational Videos
Documentaries, talks, and personal stories about gambling addiction and recovery
See all 134 videos
Watch and learn. Curated documentaries, TED talks, and recovery stories from creators sharing their experiences with gambling addiction.
YouTube Shorts
Bite-sized recovery moments — testimony, awareness, and reality checks in under a minute
One scroll, one story. Vertical clips from creators naming the feel of gambling addiction — the best ones land in seconds.
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Gambling Recovery Podcasts
Real stories, lived experience, and recovery conversations
Listen on your terms. Recovery podcasts available on Apple Podcasts and YouTube — hear from people who've been where you are and found their way out.
Disclaimer: This page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, find a virtual GA meeting — available 24/7, no signup required. You can also reach the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700, available 24/7.