Sports betting worries grow as wagers skyrocket

Health

Sports betting worries grow as wagers skyrocket

Experts see rise in gambling problems, possible wider cultural fallout

Anna Lamb

Harvard Staff Writer

January 6, 2026 5 min read

Americans have taken an increasingly dim view of sports betting in the seven years since the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban, as online wagers have skyrocketed, igniting concerns over the personal and social costs.