Gambling Addiction May Alter Reward, Self-Control Networks in Brain: Study

Research finds that gambling disorder disrupts the brain’s self-control circuitry while triggering addiction-like responses to gambling cues, closely mirroring the effects seen in drug dependence.

Findings from a doctoral thesis add merit to a growing body of sports betting addiction lawsuits that claim wagering and other forms of gambling alter brain function, eroding self-control and hijacking the brain’s chemical reward system in ways that make addiction difficult to overcome.

Rates of gambling addiction have skyrocketed in recent years, following a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. NCAA, which overturned the federal ban on national sports betting. Since then, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting, with 30 jurisdictions allowing gambling through platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and Caesars.

Mental health experts nationwide have reported a sharp rise in young men seeking options for treatment of sports-betting problems, many describing the same path into compulsive gambling—being enticed by “risk-free” promotions, in-game betting options and other marketing tactics.

As concerns mount over the severity of these issues, a researcher from the University of Turku in Finland, published his doctoral thesis on January 16, detailing brain abnormalities linked to gambling addiction and disorder. In the thesis, doctoral candidate Albert Bellmunt Gil finds that gambling can disrupt connections in the brain’s frontal cortex in a way that “may make it harder to stop gambling once urges arise.”

Gil’s thesis points out that the frontal lobe of the brain helps regulate executive function, such as self-control and making decisions, and it releases “reward” chemicals that make individuals feel good about doing the things they like.

The research analyzed MRI scans from 15 individuals with gambling disorder and 17 age- and sex-matched participants without the condition, and also used PET imaging to study 20 older adults with gambling disorder compared with 40 matched control subjects.

According to Gil’s findings, those with gambling disorder showed signs of having connections in the brain disrupted between the frontal cortex and subcortical brain regions. They also had a stronger brain response to gambling cues, similar to the brains of those suffering from drug addiction, he found.

“The results of this study indicate that GD is associated with converging structural and functional brain abnormalities in the fronto-striatal-thalamic circuit. These findings provide novel information about the neurobiology of GD that can help in the development of new treatment options.”

– Albert Bellmunt Gil, Neurobiological correlates of gambling disorder: A multimodal brain imaging approach

However, the report notes that Gil could not determine whether some changes and brain structure abnormalities he detected represent a vulnerability to gambling addiction or are the results of gambling addiction.

Gambling Disorder Lawsuits

The findings come amid a growing surge of gambling addiction lawsuits, most of which have been focused on sportsbook sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. Lawyers in the U.S. continue to review these sports betting addiction lawsuits for individuals nationwide who developed gambling addictions after using sports betting apps.

Claims focus on college age users who were encouraged to place high-frequency bets, even after showing signs of addiction. Some continued to receive personalized incentives, and marketing offers after requesting account closures or appearing on self-exclusion lists, raising serious concerns about how platforms may exploit vulnerable behavior.

If you or someone you love suffered financial harm from compulsive gambling on these apps, contact a sports gambling lawyer to see if you are eligible to recover losses and hold companies accountable for their potentially addictive design and predatory targeting practices.

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