Former US Surgeon General Warns Sports Betting Could Be the Next Opioid Crisis

Sports betting comes with inherent risks, but a former top US public health official believes the medical community may be underestimating the dangers of the booming gambling activity.

Vice Admiral Jerome Adams served as the Surgeon General of the United States from September 2017 through January 2021. Appointed by President Donald Trump, Adams’ tenure coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams is sounding the alarm on sports betting, an activity that was illegal in all but Nevada until 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-game sports wagering in 49 states.  

Is Sports Betting as Addictive as Opioids?

Responding to a social post from Charlie Bilello, a financial media personality with a large following on X, highlighting the rapid growth of sports betting, Adams likened such gambling to opioids.

“Sports betting is the new opioid crisis. Our kids, especially our boys, are getting exposed and hooked early. And it’s ruining lives as surely as turning a blind eye to prescription opioids did,” Adams wrote.

Adams added a “did you know” claiming that “gambling is the addiction most likely to lead to suicide.”

Since exiting public service, Adams has worked as a presidential fellow at Purdue University, where he serves as the executive director of the Center for Community Health Enhancement and Learning (HEAL) and a distinguished professor of practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health.

Historically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faced heavy criticism during the opioid crisis after approving OxyContin in 1996 based partly on the claim—later shown to be poorly supported—that its time-release formulation made it less addictive. Pharmaceutical manufacturer Purdue Pharma aggressively marketed the drug to sales reps and physicians around that claim, while the agency failed to intervene despite mounting evidence of widespread misuse.

The gambling industry has successfully lobbied state lawmakers to legalize sports betting with claims that a regulated marketplace protects consumers and promotes responsible participation. Today, 39 states and Washington, DC, have some form of legal sports gambling, with online wagering allowed in all but six markets.

Sports Betting and Self-Harm

A 2024 study at Rutgers University found that 28% of problem gamblers reported suicidal ideation, and 20% made a suicide attempt. More than one in four said they had engaged in non-suicidal self-injury.

However, a 2024 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, study found no detectable association between the proliferation of sports betting and increased suicide rates among the population as a whole.

The researchers did find a noticeable increase among males ages 15-34, at two additional suicides per 100,000 people. Conversely, the gambling-related suicide rate among males ages 35-54 decreased by 2.4 per 100,000.

Behavioral health experts say alcohol use disorder and opioid addiction remain the most frequently cited and implicated substance use disorders in suicide deaths and attempts, while gambling addiction is often associated with some of the highest rates of suicidal ideation.