Operators of online casinos and sportsbooks The rise in problem gambling rates in the US has been attributed to DraftKings and its main rivals, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and Fanatics.
Recently, a senior responsible gaming officer at the iGaming and online sportsbook platform expressed her opinion that schools ought to teach children about the dangers of gambling addictions.
In an episode of "Raising America," Elizabeth Prann of The Hill spoke with Lori E. Kalani, the chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings. As a preventative strategy, Kalani recommended in the interview that high schools include classes on ethical gaming in their curricula.
“Times change. When I was in high school, and I’m old, they weren’t talking about social media and privacy. I think people are waking up and saying we should be talking to the younger generation about gambling,” Kalani said.
“Gambling is everywhere. Kids can play real money games even with video games. The more people are educated that this is fun, but moderation is the smart way to do it and stay safe, is important,” Kalani continued.
Responsible Gaming Month is in March
Kalani's remarks coincide with the end of Problem Gambling Awareness Month, an annual initiative organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
"Caring Communities, Stronger Futures," this year's campaign theme, highlights the significance of a community-driven approach to problem gambling awareness and help.
The Washington, D.C.-based organization, which is the only national nonprofit devoted to reducing the negative effects of gambling, believes that gambling issues are becoming more prevalent.
A UC San Diego research from February 2025 agreed. Researchers at the institution discovered that between 2018 and 2024, there was a 23% increase in online searches for gambling assistance.
The US Supreme Court's May 2018 decision to abolish PASPA, a federal regulation that restricted single-game sports betting to Nevada, marked the beginning of the rise.
This historic ruling paved the way for sports betting and contributed to the mainstreaming of the gaming sector in numerous U.S. states.
“Parallel with the growth in sportsbooks, internet searches for help with gambling addiction, such as ‘am I addicted to gambling,’ have cumulatively increased 23% nationally since Murphy v. NCAA through June 2024. This corresponds with approximately 6.5 to 7.3 million searches for gambling addiction help-seeking nationally, with 180,000 monthly searches at its peak,” the study reported.
States that permit online sports betting, such as Ohio (67%), Pennsylvania (50%), Massachusetts (47%), and Michigan (37%), had much higher rates of internet help searches.
Losses from Sports Betting
The American Gaming Association reports that in 2025, the sports betting market brought in about $17 billion, with wagers totaling $166.94 million.
The $16.96 billion in sports betting revenue was an all-time high for the sector and a 23% year-over-year increase.
The biggest sports betting market is in New York, where oddsmakers take $26 billion in wagers and keep $2.5 billion.
During the 2024–25 fiscal year, which concluded in March 2025, DraftKings enabled $8.6 billion in online wagers in New York. $727.9 million in gross wagering income was produced by the platform.
