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Public concern about online sports betting appears to be rising as the NFL starts a new season and major sportsbook partnerships remain in place.
A Daily Kos analysis published Sept. 6 argues that leagues, operators, and policymakers helped normalize sports wagering after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018. The piece points to newer polling and research suggesting a growing backlash tied to addiction risk, financial harm, and abuse connected to gambling.
Polling shows a more skeptical public mood
According to Gallup data cited in the piece, the share of Americans who view gambling as morally acceptable fell to 57% in May, down from 69% in the year New Jersey legalized online sports betting. Pew data cited in the article also said 34% of Americans viewed sports gambling as bad for society in July 2022, rising by 9 percentage points three years later.
The article further cited a Siena Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University survey finding that 27% of American adults now have an active online sportsbook account, up from 19% two years earlier. Among men ages 18 to 49, the figure was 52%.
It also said a plurality of Americans, 44%, support banning online sports betting, compared with 36% who oppose a ban. The piece said that support for a ban spans both parties, with 43% of Democrats and 47% of Republicans in favor.
Studies cited in the piece link online betting to higher harm indicators
Among the research highlighted was a June study that found gambling disorder diagnoses at 2.2 per 100,000 adult patients in states that never legalized sports betting, compared with 4.8 per 100,000 in states that did.
Another study cited in the article linked online betting expansion to an average 12-point decline in credit scores. Researchers also said online access relative to retail betting was associated with roughly 25% increases in bankruptcy rates and credit card delinquencies, a 27% increase in auto loan delinquencies, and a 9% increase in collections on accounts. The article said that bankruptcy finding translates to roughly 30,000 additional personal bankruptcies in the U.S. each year.
The piece also pointed to broader social effects, including a study saying gambling increases suicide risk and a Women’s Tennis Association and World Tennis finding that gamblers were responsible for 59% of the most serious abuse directed at female players during the 2025 season.
What Florida readers should take from it
The source was an opinion article, not a new Florida regulatory update, and it did not identify any immediate policy change for the state. But Florida was named among the states where online sports betting is legal, making the national debate relevant for local players as scrutiny around mobile wagering continues to grow.
For bettors, the main takeaway is not a market change but a policy signal: criticism of online sports betting is increasingly being backed by polling and academic research, not just moral or political argument. Anyone who chooses to bet should keep limits in mind and watch for further state and national debates over mobile wagering rules.
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Source: As reported by Andrew Mangan.
