The proliferation of sports betting has raised mixed responses in people, with some seeing the activity as innocuous, others welcoming it as a chance to replace seedy offshore websites, and others still – echoing the words of Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, who served as Surgeon General of the United States between September 2017 and January 2021.
Former Surgeon General States It Outright: Sports Betting Is an Opioid Crisis-Like Event
Adams has warned that the rapid expansion of regulated sports betting could be on track to develop into a more serious problem than anyone expected, and specifically, become an event akin to the “opioid crisis,” the man suggested. In fact, Adams believes that the time to describe it as such has arrived:
“Sports betting is the new opioid crisis. Our kids, especially our boys, are getting exposed and hooked early. And it’s ruining lives as surely as turning a blind eye to prescription opioids did.”
Adams was citing a post by Charlie Bilello, who noted that there has been a 25x increase in the amounts wagered on sports in the United States over the past seven years – from $6.6 billion in 2018 to $165 billion in 2025.
Adams also pointed out that gambling addiction was the addiction that was most likely to lead to suicidal thoughts and actual suicide, a claim borne out by at least one study.
Suicidal Ideation High Among Problem Gamblers
In 2024, researchers from th Rutgers University established that 28% of problem gamblers would get suicidal ideation, and a shocking 20% did indeed make a suicidal attempt. This tracks with Adams’ own assessment of the issue.
Researchers also tentatively explored an increase in suicide attempts in young males aged 15-34 as sports gambling has become more popular, with roughly two more suicidal attempts per 100,000 individuals.
Adams has not dug further into the idea that sports betting has gained proportions akin to the opioid crisis.
The exact numbers on how many people with a serious gambling-related problem develop suicidal ideation are also up for discussion, with different studies citing slightly different figures.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, suicidal ideation in problem gamblers may in fact range between 12% and 92%, with 4% to 40% having attempted suicide, specifically among law enforcement.