The swell in sports betting in Arizona since its legalization in 2021 has spiraled into both a record-breaking revenue generator and a catalyst for surging addiction concerns. As the state revels in the financial boon, with gamblers having wagered $22.3 billion as of November 2024, a darker side of the story unfolds. Arizonians grappling with problematic gambling habits are stretching the state’s addiction services thin, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Arizona's march into the frenzy of sports betting mirrors a national trend, and research from the American Medical Association indicated a 23% spike in online searches for gambling-related help post-legalization, contributing to an approximate total of 7.3 million inquiries; this underscores how the dark shadow cast by this new pastime elongates with every passing month. "It’s not a boom for the people of Arizona or for the people of this country. The only people who it's a boom for are the people that own the gambling companies," Les Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling told FOX 10 Phoenix, hinting at the discord between corporate profit and communal welfare. Calls to Arizona's Division of Problem Gambling have risen in the last four years, pointing to a not-so-rosy consequence of this technology-enabled indulgence.
Accounts from residents like Frezzy Mendez, who admitted to wagering nearly $140,000 through mobile apps such as FanDuel, reveal an inescapable entrapment; Mendez confessed feeling like he's "fighting demons" due to his addiction. "I don't want to say yes. I don't want to say no. But just to me, for me to be betting over $100,000 in three years and only be down $8,000 -- to me, it's actually kind of a plus, honestly. It's like going to the casino and only coming down $100," Mendez shared in an interview with FOX 10 Phoenix.
With the meteoric rise in betting options, concerns surged about the impact on those yet legally ineligible to participate; Nate Bush of Cornerstone Healing Center in Phoenix noted, that the Super Bowl brought with it a barrage of sports betting commercials, compact with the potential to influence susceptible minds and with university-backed research adding to the grim picture, a study out of UCLA found bankruptcy rates climbed by 25-30% four years after online betting was legalized, which is interpreted as approximately 30,000 more bankruptcies, according to azfamily.com. This development sows seeds of worry regarding the financial stability of numerous American families, who find themselves caught in the tidal waves of sports betting's treacherous currents.
Notwithstanding the growing addiction and bankruptcy rates, sports gambling proceeds continue to enrich Arizona's coffers, with around $112 million funneled into state funds since legalization. If you or someone you know is battling with gambling addiction, resources are available at 1-800-NEXT-STEP or by texting 53342, and for further details, one can visit azfamily.com.
