NBC News seeks stories as online gambling addiction surges

NBC News asked people affected by gambling problems to share their stories on July 10, 2026, as online sportsbooks posted a record $17 billion in revenue last year. The callout lands as legal online betting has widened access in the United States and newer prediction markets have also taken off, deepening concern that addiction is moving faster, and reaching farther, than older casino-based gambling ever did.

The warning signs are showing up in search data. In a 2025 NBC News report, researchers found 23% more searches nationally for gambling addiction help than expected since the Supreme Court ruling that opened the door to widespread state legalization. That kind of shift matters for public health because internet betting is available around the clock, on the same device people use for banking, work and family communication, with little distance between a wager and the consequences.

Health systems abroad are seeing the strain too. The Gambling Commission said its 2024 Gambling Survey for Great Britain found that younger adults between 18 and 34 who had gambled in the past 12 months were more likely to report severe consequences than adults 55 and older. The commission also said 12.2% of participants reported thinking about or attempting suicide, and 5.2% of that group said gambling was related a little or a lot.

Local services in Britain have been pushed to absorb the fallout. In March 2024, a new NHS gambling clinic opened in Sheffield city centre amid what BBC News described as record demand for help. GamCare estimated that 1.4 million people in Britain were experiencing harms from gambling, and said 60% of National Gambling Helpline callers in 2022/23 disclosed some level of gambling-related debt while 76% reported financial difficulties.

NBC News said it wants to hear from people dealing with gambling addiction, financial harm, family strain or unsuccessful attempts to get help. The callout underscores a broader consumer-protection problem: as betting has moved online, the damage can unfold more quickly, more privately and with fewer obvious barriers to pause, seek help or stop.