In 1996, online sports gambling became a reality. Since then, it has grown into a global, multi-billion-dollar industry driven by mobile technology, legislation, and the real-time features of most platforms today. In that time, we have also seen a dramatic increase in cases of gambling addiction, including cases involving children. Let’s take a look.
Online Sports Gambling Timeline
Online sports gambling started slowly and, with technological advances, exploded onto the scene, especially after 2018. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to legalize online gambling:
- 1996–2000: The “Pioneering Phase”— In 1996, Intertops launched the first online sportsbook, allowing bets via desktop. The limited technology of the time permitted only fundamental features and slow speeds, and there was very little regulation of the platforms.
- Early 2000s: Expansion—Online sports gambling grew along with internet access. Broader sports coverage and live betting features were introduced.
- 2010s: Mobile Revolution—The rise of smartphones and mobile apps made online gambling more accessible and private. Legal restrictions in the U.S., e.g., the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), kept widespread sports betting in check.
- 2018–2025: Legalization and Explosive Growth – The U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed states to legalize sports betting. By 2024, 38 states had operational sportsbooks, and 94% of wagers were online.
Gambling Addiction Soars as Online Betting Surges
We have seen the cases of gambling addiction, as well as people seeking help, soar once online betting was legalized:
- Google searches for gambling addiction help rose 23% nationally between 2018 and 2024.
- In states like Ohio (67%), Pennsylvania (50%), and Massachusetts (47%), the spikes were even higher, indicating a direct relationship between online gambling availability and addiction.
- In Pennsylvania, retail sportsbooks led to a 33% rise in help-seeking, but online betting caused a 61% surge.
Online gambling has intensified risks for other addictions, especially alcohol and drug misuse, due to overlapping brain pathways, shared risk factors, and compounding behaviors:
- Studies show that up to 50% of people with gambling disorder also struggle with alcohol or drug misuse, including opioids, sedatives, and stimulants.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that 25–63% of pathological gamblers also meet criteria for substance use disorder, with alcohol being the most common.
- The home-based nature of online betting makes it easier to pair gambling with alcohol or drug use, mainly in isolation.
NBA Gambling Arrests
In October 2025, NBA figures Chauncey Billups (Portland Trail Blazers head coach), Terry Rozier (Miami Heat guard), and former player Damon Jones were arrested in a sweeping FBI investigation into illegal gambling, insider betting, and Mafia-backed poker games:
- Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were charged with using non-public NBA information to place illegal bets.
- Rozier allegedly faked an injury during a 2023 game to manipulate betting outcomes. He informed a co-defendant beforehand, who sold the tip to bettors. Jones allegedly disclosed the injury status of players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis before games, enabling fraudulent wagers.
- Chauncey Billups and Jones were charged in a separate indictment involving high-tech cheating in underground poker games. The operation used X-ray tables, rigged shuffling machines, and contact lenses to read cards and steal millions from victims.
These men are charged at this point and deserve their day in court. Online betting is a multi-billion-dollar business. It is realistic to say that we may see more of this behavior across the sports spectrum, creating victims of those who make these bets without the inside information. This is the equivalent of insider trading in the financial world.
The Catholic View
While Scripture doesn’t speak directly to online activity, Jesus’ teachings offer profound clarity on bondage, temptation, and restoration:
- Matthew 6:24 says: No one can serve two masters. “He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” For many people, online gambling becomes what St. Ignatius called a “disordered attachment”. Another word to describe the scripture line is idolatry, or the worship of something other than God. Granted, not all addiction becomes a chemical dependency, but all addictions do involve neurological, behavioral, and spiritual bondage that can be just as powerful as substance use.
- John 10:10 says: “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” The enemy is the thief who uses algorithms, anonymity, and dopamine to steal joy and distort identity. But Jesus would proclaim victory: life in abundance, through grace, truth, and community.
- Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,* and I will give you rest.” Jesus would speak tenderly to those caught in addiction—not with shame but with compassion and invitation.
The excitement of placing the bets and the lure of easy money are an insidious evil that slowly moves us away from God. Please pray that those suffering from addiction, as well as the families suffering the financial/emotional impact of online sports betting, find the peace that only God gives us.
Please share your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.
Peace
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