The New Addiction: How Online Sports Betting Platforms Are Preying on Vulnerable Americans

In a nation already grappling with record levels of personal debt, anxiety, and digital overexposure, online sports betting has emerged as the newest silent epidemic—one that hides behind glitzy commercials, celebrity endorsements, and promises of “fun” and “freedom.” But behind the sleek user interfaces and flashy promotions lies a powerful and predatory industry, one that is targeting the most vulnerable Americans while pouring millions of dollars into state politics to change the law in its favor.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Texas, one of the last major holdouts in the fight to legalize online sports gambling.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, online gambling has exploded. Platforms like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and others have turned smartphones into slot machines—available 24/7, perfectly engineered to keep users betting, losing, and coming back for more. What once required a trip to a Las Vegas casino can now happen from a teenager’s bedroom, a college dorm, or the back pew of a Sunday church service. Algorithms track user behavior, offer bonuses for continued losses, and deliver push notifications at psychologically vulnerable times—all tactics copied directly from the world of behavioral addiction research.

Problem gambling has spiked nationwide. A 2024 study from the National Council on Problem Gambling found a 60% increase in reported gambling addiction among adults under 35 in states that legalized online betting. Suicide hotlines, credit counseling centers, and family law attorneys are reporting unprecedented calls related to gambling-related crises.

Texas has long resisted the spread of legalized gambling, with bipartisan coalitions of religious, populist, and family-centered lawmakers holding the line. But that wall is now under siege. Sports betting companies have made Texas their next major target. Why? Because the state is a gold mine—home to over 30 million people, hundreds of sports franchises, and a booming tech-savvy young population.

In the last 18 months alone, industry-backed PACs have dumped tens of millions of dollars into lobbying efforts and campaign contributions in Texas. Lawmakers in Austin are receiving large checks from out-of-state corporations and trade associations that promise “economic growth” and “revenue for education,” while downplaying the devastating social costs that follow. According to campaign finance records reviewed by American Liberty Media several key state legislators who were previously opposed to legalizing sports betting quietly flipped their positions after receiving contributions from sports betting executives and lobbyists. This is not policymaking—it’s influence-peddling.

Make no mistake: these platforms are not passive tools for entertainment. They are designed for maximum exploitation. Sports betting apps use psychological triggers and gamified interfaces to hook users. Bonuses are doled out when gamblers lose money. Losses are reframed as “almost wins.” Notifications push users back into the app after periods of inactivity. Young men—especially those aged 18 to 30—are the most aggressively targeted. In-app ads are saturated with references to masculinity, competition, and financial independence. Many apps now partner with influencers on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok to reach high school and college-aged audiences. It’s not a coincidence. It’s a business model built on addiction.

The companies behind these platforms know they can’t win the moral or scientific argument—so they’re buying the political one. The promise of new tax revenue has become the fig leaf behind which these deals are made. But the costs—broken families, bankruptcies, lost jobs, increased mental illness—are paid not by lawmakers or corporate executives, but by working families and vulnerable individuals who fall into the trap. Worse, many of the same lawmakers pushing sports betting are also slashing funding for addiction services and mental health resources.

In Texas, proposals to legalize online sports betting are being rebranded as “economic development” initiatives. But the question Texans must ask is: at what cost? And who really benefits?

If Texas legalizes online sports betting in 2026, it won’t be because the people demanded it. It will be because a handful of wealthy corporations bought enough political influence to push it through. This isn’t about freedom. It’s about profit—extracted from addiction, desperation, and digital manipulation.

Texas and other states must resist the tide. Lawmakers should reject sports betting legislation and instead focus on protecting vulnerable populations, funding recovery programs, and passing stricter laws against manipulative digital practices. If we don’t act now, we’re not just legalizing gambling—we’re legalizing exploitation on a scale this country has never seen.

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER.