Kentucky Derby at Old Forester's Paristown Hall on May 3, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. As gambling on sports proliferates across America, there are record-breaking profits for the betting companies and a tax revenue windfall for state governments. But at the same time the number of people with a gambling disorder is on the rise.ruling in 2018, legal sports betting has taken off in the U.S. Thirty-eight states have passed laws to allow gambling on sports while another six are considering it.
The American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association recognize pathological gambling as a diagnosable mental disorder, characterized by a preoccupation with wagers, not being able to cut down or stop, gambling repeatedly beyond one’s means, borrowing money to finance the habit or chasing after losses by betting more.
Given the vested interests that state governments have in tax revenue, Tonko’s proposals may not garner a lot of support among colleagues. Many politicians on both sides of the aisle have said that the legalization of gambling provides states with much-needed additional income.