Editor’s Note: The chart notes for the first chart have been updated to correct errors in how we labeled the trend line colors. (March 25, 2026)
Since 2018, more than thirty states have legalized mobile sports betting, leading to more than a half trillion dollars in wagers. In our recent Staff Report, we examine how legalized sports betting affects household financial health by comparing betting a...
The strongest version of this narrative presents a data-driven case that sports betting legalization has measurable negative effects on household financial health, particularly for younger borrowers, while also generating significant tax revenue for states. The research is thorough, using large-scale transaction and credit data to track trends over time, and it acknowledges spillover effects that complicate policy decisions for neighboring states. The authors deserve credit for quantifying the f...