The fifth month of each annum is generally a high-spirited one. Many anticipate the arrival of May the 4th (be with you), Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day Long Weekend, and spring weather. But of course, the problems of the world don’t cease with festivities and balmy temperatures. In fact, with the playoffs underway in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) in May, one such concern is ramping up for millions of vulnerable Americans – problematic sports betting. If you’re among this group and trying to take a break during playoff season and need help, call +1 (877) 426-4258 to speak with a counselor. Otherwise, read ahead for this month’s problem gambling news report.
May 2025 News Regarding Problematic Gambling / Sports Betting that America Needs to Know About
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, with this year’s theme being “Turn Awareness Into Action”. As the slogan infers, individuals are encouraged to move beyond the recognition that their mental health is important and take tangible steps to improve their well-being. While addressing problem gambling certainly fits into this umbrella, we want Americans to develop an understanding that for many, problem gambling is far from one isolated issue. A wide body of research confirms that problem gambling cooccurs with a number of mental health concerns. In understanding this, individuals may come to terms with their vulnerabilities and recognize that they require a highly specialized and customized treatment strategy. In other words, self-exclusion from a casino or sports betting app alone is generally not enough. Below are links to resources that explain the comorbidity between problem gambling and common mental health issues that America struggles with. Click/tap the one that is relevant to you, or refer to them all for further comprehension of all that problem gambling entails:
- ADHD and Gambling
- Anxiety and Gambling
- Bipolar Disorder and Gambling
- Depression and Gambling
- OCD and Gambling
- PTSD and Gambling
- Schizophrenia and Gambling
Armed with a better understanding of how common mental health issues cooccur with problem gambling, and having connected the dots as to where you stand (as applicable) we encourage you to take this years MHAW to heart and take action. Click the banner below to make it happen!
KRI’s First National Initiative on Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Goes LIVE
May marks the first full month of Kindbridge Research Institute’s Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Initiative going live. The initiative represents the first coordinated U.S. effort to confront gambling-related financial harm as a public health and financial stability issue. The multi-year national initiative brings together experts from the financial, healthcare, and research sectors to create practical strategies for reducing financial harms that typically result from problematic involvement in casino gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports (DFS), lottery, horse racing, and more. Learn more about this exciting new initiative right here.
Hawaii Flip Flops on Sports Betting
The industry (on both sides of the gambling fence) has been closely watching the potential arrival of regulated sports betting in the Aloha State. After a lot of contentious debate, Hawaii seemed poised to allow sports betting after Governor Josh Green indicated (in April) that he would be open to regulating the activity if House Bill 1308 (to allow sports betting) made its final passage to his desk. On top of his statements, the state House passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 121, to create a working group to study the legalization of casinos on the island of Oahu. Experts all over the nation watched closely, and we even weighed in with an article titled “Gambling and Sports Betting Addiction to Erupt in Hawaii?” which you can read here. But on May 2, it was reported that House Bill 1308 failed to move on after reaching a conference committee due to disagreements about the bill’s amendments. For now, the state with the highest household debt-to-income ratio and extremely low access to mental health services, is safe, so to speak. We’ll be monitoring for what happens next.
Stay tuned for more as stories develop.
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