The\u00a0impending\u00a0introduction of three\u00a0new\u00a0casinos in New York has come with\u00a0promises\u00a0of\u00a0increased\u00a0tourism, tax revenue, permanent job creation,\u00a0affordable housing,\u00a0and public green space.\u00a0And while all of this\u00a0seems beneficial and\u00a0may\u00a0very well\u00a0come to fruition, one threat\u00a0that cannot go unaddressed is\u00a0the\u00a0further\u00a0enablement\u00a0of gambling addiction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0State\u00a0must start directing more resources to meet New York\u2019s growing addiction problem before these casinos\u00a0open.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
With the\u00a0legalization of\u00a0sports betting\u00a0in recent years, gambling is now more accessible\u00a0and\u00a0seemingly ubiquitous\u00a0than\u00a0ever.\u00a0A\u00a0recent study<\/a>\u00a0led by University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine found a 23\u00a0percent\u00a0surge nationally in searches for gambling addiction help since online sports betting was made legal in 2017. In New\u00a0York\u00a0specifically,\u00a0gambling\u00a0addiction\u00a0help-seeking rose 37\u00a0percent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n And the addition of more casinos to our area\u00a0will only\u00a0exacerbate\u00a0this,\u00a0making\u00a0New Yorkers\u00a0even\u00a0more vulnerable.\u00a0A\u00a02023 study<\/a>\u00a0reinforced\u00a0a\u00a0previous\u00a0finding\u00a0that\u00a0people\u00a0residing\u00a0near gambling venues are more likely to gamble, less likely to be happy, and are more likely to suffer from financial hardship and mental health problems.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The issue\u00a0of problem gambling\u00a0does not often exist on its own.\u00a0The development of gambling addiction alongside\u00a0other mental illnesses\u00a0is\u00a0common, as these conditions have comorbidities that\u00a0tend to\u00a0exacerbate\u00a0each other.\u00a0Suicide rates among problem gamblers are\u00a015 times higher<\/a>.\u00a0Instances of gambling addiction are\u00a0also tied to relationship breakdown, family violence,\u00a0child neglect,\u00a0financial distress, income-generating crimes like theft and fraud, and more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, gambling addiction is a driver of poverty as it often\u00a0diverts household spending from essential goods and services.\u00a0At least\u00a0one in ten<\/a>\u00a0homeless individuals have been affected by problem gambling on some level.\u00a0And with\u00a0New York\u2019s poverty rate being\u00a0nearly double the national average<\/a>\u00a0in 2023,\u00a026\u00a0percent\u00a0of children in New York City living\u00a0in poverty\u00a0as of this year, and\u00a0homelessness doubling statewide<\/a>\u00a0between 2022 and 2024, we need to be cautious about\u00a0allowing a\u00a0contributor to these challenges to run unchecked any further.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0As new casinos\u00a0are introduced, there must be investment in preventative measures that ensure New Yorkers are aware of the\u00a0risks associated with prolific gambling.\u00a0Of course, there are some very vague requirements in New York about casino operators being more hands-on\u00a0in intervening with problem gamblers, but a lot of this oversight has been left to state agencies.\u00a0And\u00a0it is clear that this\u00a0issue is going unchecked\u00a0with the current state of online sports betting.\u00a0It is\u00a0now estimated<\/a>\u00a0that 4.3\u00a0percent\u00a0of New Yorkers have a gambling problem, a sharp increase from 0.7\u00a0percent\u00a0in 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n First and foremost, further\u00a0campaigning must be done to\u00a0provide education around the\u00a0signs and symptoms of gambling addiction\u00a0and the importance of early intervention, along with information on resources that are already\u00a0established.\u00a0Many problem gamblers develop an\u00a0addiction without even realizing it.\u00a0This\u00a0is\u00a0a bare minimum given the preexisting threat posed by online sports betting and the troubling trends\u00a0surrounding it.\u00a0New York is already the\u00a0leading state<\/a>\u00a0in mobile sports wagering, with\u00a0nearly $60 billion\u00a0in bets having been placed as of January 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n More funding for accessible treatment options tailored specifically for gambling addiction also needs to be\u00a0designated. The $6 million\u00a0now\u00a0allocated\u00a0annually from mobile sports betting\u00a0tax revenue\u00a0is not enough. With\u00a0continually increasing numbers of\u00a0individuals already seeking help and the addition of more casinos\u00a0impending,\u00a0existing clinical services<\/a>\u00a0could soon become inundated or strapped for resources, allowing individuals to fall through the cracks.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Furthermore, we need to enable\u00a0better\u00a0assistance\u00a0for covering treatment for problem gambling.\u00a0For example, New York State Senator Joseph\u00a0P.\u00a0Addabbo\u00a0Jr. recently introduced\u00a0a bill<\/a>\u00a0that would require\u00a0insurance coverage of outpatient problem gambling services. This\u00a0measure\u00a0needs to\u00a0be pushed forward.\u00a0Gambling addiction is as serious as any other substance abuse disorder and should be treated as such in medical insurance plans.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This is a matter of public health, as\u00a0the potential\u00a0benefit\u00a0of these casinos\u00a0can easily be\u00a0outweighed by\u00a0the\u00a0harms that\u00a0more\u00a0problem gambling can inflict upon\u00a0individuals, families, and our\u00a0communities. We must do more to help\u00a0our fellow New Yorkers who are already struggling\u00a0due to sports betting and prevent\u00a0more individuals from falling victim to the grasp\u00a0of gambling addiction.\u00a0Right now, the need is swiftly outpacing the solutions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n