A new bipartisan bill in Congress aims to start closing that gap by funding gambling addiction treatment programs. Future research can shape how this condition is studied alongside other behavioral addictions, diagnosed and treated for years to come.
A First Federal Study of Gambling Disorder
US Reps. Dan Goldman of New York and Blake Moore of Utah have introduced the Gambling Disorder Health Study Act, which would direct the federal government to investigate the causes, development, and long-term effects of gambling addiction. The bill would create the first dedicated federal mandate to study gambling-related harm and evaluate treatment strategies.
The research would run over multiple years, with the first three years funded by the federal excise tax on sports betting, which has escalated in recent years. Goldman called gambling addiction a growing public health crisis, especially among young men and teens, and said Congress needs to treat it as one.
The Money’s Origins
The federal government collects a 0.25% excise tax on every legal sports bet, plus a $50 annual tax for each sportsbook employee. This revenue, about $400 million a year, currently flows into the general fund rather than any single dedicated program. The bill would redirect a portion of it toward gambling addiction research.
Goldman and Moore aren’t the first to suggest this. A separate March 2026 bill, the POINTS Act, recommended steering at least one-third of the tax revenue into a federal grant structure for state treatment and prevention programs specifically for gambling. That measure has stalled in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Lawmakers Say the Timing Matters
Moore said the country has entered a new era of gambling addiction as digital sports betting has exploded. Apps have even impacted how people trade stocks and prediction markets have spread into daily life. The lawmakers want the research to clarify how around-the-clock gambling apps affect the public and which groups face the highest risk of developing a problem.
The industry has grown quickly. Since the Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting in 2018, U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached $78.72 billion in 2025, a 9.2% increase from the prior year, covering casinos, sports betting and iGaming. In 2003, commercial gaming revenue was under $29 billion.
Gambling Disorder Fits into Addiction Treatment
Gambling disorder is recognized as a behavioral addiction, and it often appears alongside substance use and mental health conditions. People who seek addiction treatment for gambling may benefit from many of the same evidence-based approaches used for other addictions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, support groups, and care for co-occurring depression or anxiety.
Options range from outpatient counseling to more structured programs for people whose gambling has affected their finances, relationships or safety.
Better federal data could help shape which therapies are studied, funded and eventually covered by insurers.
For Treatment Seekers
If the bill becomes law, it could expand the evidence base that guides how gambling addiction is diagnosed and treated. Over time, the legislation would certainly influence which services insurers pay for.
But right now, people who need help don’t have to wait on legislation. Treatment for gambling disorder already exists, and many rehab centers that treat substance use also address behavioral addictions and the mental health conditions that often come with them.
Find the Right Rehab
If gambling or a co-occurring substance use problem is affecting your life or someone you love, useful next steps include comparing treatment programs that handle behavioral addictions, checking whether a facility treats co-occurring mental health conditions and understanding how insurance coverage for rehab may apply.
Our directory includes a wide array of treatment centers, with tools to compare programs and approaches. Or, dial
800-985-8516
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