University of Maryland notes an increase in residents experiencing gambling-related harm

• Gambling-related harm rises in Maryland as more people are reported to experience a disorder tied to the activity
• The latest research looks into the demographics and gambling behavior exhibited by individuals
• Awareness and help-seeking are both improving, but there is more work to be done

The University of Maryland has published new research that indicates that there has been a noticeable increase in people who experience gambling-related harm statewide.

The survey focused on the period between the launch of legal sports gambling in 2022 through 2024, indicating that 5.7% of the Maryland population experienced some form of harm.

New study highlights an increase in harm, but some positives too

There has been a 42% increase from the 4% reported before the legalization of sports gambling in the Free State. The research was led by The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, looking into trends related to gambling-related harm.

Dr. Christopher Welsh, Medical Director at The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling and Professor of Psychiatry at UMSOM, has weighed in on the findings, arguing that gambling addiction was not unlike other forms of dependency – on substance and alcohol.

The brains of people addicted to gambling were the same as the brains of people addicted to drugs and alcohol, Dr. Welsh pointed out. The study took a large sample size of 3,600 people, concluding that nearly 90% of Marylanders gambled in 2024, pointing out how widespread the activity is.

To meet the criteria, respondents were asked if they had participated in activities such as casinos, online casino-style games, gaming machines outside of a casino, horse races, lottery games, bingo, private games, and other activities that may be construed as gambling.

The survey went much deeper, trying to analyze the behaviors associated with gambling, including help-seeking, which was 13% for Marylanders with a history of gambling disorders. The new percentage indicated an increase from only 7.5% in 2022, suggesting that awareness about problem gambling is indeed helping drive positive change state-wide, but more needs to be done.

Researchers drill into the data to better understand how gambling disorder manifests

According to the research, 51.9% of the 5.7% who reported gambling disorder were Black/African American, 36% were white, and 2.2% were Asian, indicating that men and women of color are more severely impacted by the pernicious effects of gambling.

Disorder gambling rates were highest among those aged 56-64 (7.7%), followed by 18-24-year-olds (6.9%) and 25-34-year-olds (6.3%). Interestingly, the lowest rates were among those aged 45-54 (4.6%), indicating that people do get better with time.

Lottery led the way as the most popular form of gambling (89.8%), with casino second – 72.8%. Overall, 16.8% of Maryland adults participated in sports gambling in the past year, the survey indicated, with sports betting practiced by 47.2% of people who gambled in the state.

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