In state after state, centers for problem gambling are noticing an alarming rise in calls to their helplines. 

The circumstances reported are also getting more severe, according to the directors of five problem gambling centers, a gambling researcher and an addiction counselor. People are filing for bankruptcy or losing homes or relationships. At the same time, callers are skewing younger, the experts said — often men in their 20s and 30s.

The directors say the mounting call volume has coincided with the legalization of sports betting and rising popularity of sports betting apps. 

“We believe, nationwide, the rate and severity of gambling problems have increased across the United States since 2018,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit organization devoted to minimizing the costs and harms of gambling addiction. The group operates the helpline 1-800-GAMBLER. 

“We have every reason to believe the growth of online sports betting is a major contributing factor to the increase in gambling problems,” Whyte said.

In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down a law banning sports betting. To date, 38 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the practice, according to the American Gaming Association, which advocates for the industry. Thirty of those states allow mobile sports betting.