Studies Highlight How Sports Betting Apps Cause Compulsive Gambling Addiction

Growing wave of sports betting lawsuits accuse DraftKings, FanDuel and other major platforms of intentionally designing their sportsbook apps to encourage addictive gambling behavior.

As sports-betting apps continue to expand across the U.S., researchers are warning that these platforms are not only encouraging risky behavior that can cause long term financial distress, but are also reshaping how the developing brain experiences reward, risk and self-control.

Over the past decade, online sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and others have transformed gambling into an effortless, always-on experience. With a few taps, users can wager on thousands of live events, enticed by “risk-free” bonuses, real-time updates, and constant notifications that pull them back in. However, the convenience and speed that make these apps appealing are the same forces that can make them dangerously hard to step away from.

What began as casual entertainment has evolved into a growing public health concern. Continuous access, rapid betting cycles, and manipulative marketing tactics are blurring the line between recreation and addiction, particularly among younger adults. For many, the psychological hooks embedded in these platforms have led to escalating debt, dependency and emotional distress.

Researchers are now examining how these apps manipulate the brain’s reward systems, conditioning users to crave the dopamine rush of each new wager and reinforcing patterns of compulsive behavior.

At the same time, sports betting lawsuits are being filed nationwide by individuals who developed gambling addictions and suffered major financial losses, alleging that these platforms were deliberately engineered to exploit addictive tendencies for profit.

In this featured post, AboutLawsuits reviews key studies that highlight how these sportsbok design choices affect the brain, and why sports-betting addiction can take hold so quickly, especially among young users.

How Sports Betting Causes Addiction

From a neuroscience perspective, gambling, particularly through mobile sports-betting apps, activates the brain’s reward system in the same way addictive substances do.

Research shows how dopamine reinforcement, developing impulse control in young adults, and algorithmic design features all interact to accelerate dependency and make these platforms difficult to resist.

Nature Review Finds Gambling Triggers Same Reward Circuits as Substance Addiction

A large meta-analysis published in Nature examined dozens of neuroimaging studies and found that individuals with gambling disorder consistently show abnormal activity in the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, two regions that control reward and decision-making.

Researchers concluded that gambling activates the same neural pathways as drugs like cocaine and opioids, releasing dopamine that reinforces repeated risk-taking behaviors.

In sports-betting apps, this biological mechanism is continuously triggered through in-game wagering, rapid outcomes and near-miss alerts, all of which condition users to chase the next dopamine hit.

Dopamine Study Links Craving Intensity to Striatal Activity in Problem Gamblers

In a 2022 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, scientists examined dopamine transporter density in the ventral striatum of individuals diagnosed with gambling disorder. Comparing 15 affected participants with 15 healthy controls, the researchers observed that while dopamine levels were not universally elevated, stronger cravings for gambling directly correlated with heightened striatal activity in addicted participants.

The findings suggest that gambling-related dopamine surges reinforce compulsive urges even without chemical dependency, providing biological evidence that gambling can hijack the brain’s reward circuitry.

College-Age Adults Show Higher Risk of Problematic Sports Betting

A 2023 study published in BMC Psychology found a strong link between impulsive betting and the development of gambling problems among college students. Particularly, students who frequently placed live, high-speed bets were far more likely to report financial distress and loss of control than casual users.

Researchers attributed this vulnerability to the still-developing prefrontal cortex, which governs impulse regulation. Sports-betting apps exploit this developmental window by offering constant engagement, encouraging rapid decisions before the brain’s “stop signal” can fully activate.

Meta-Analysis Identifies Reward Pathway Dysfunction

A meta-analysis published via ScienceDirect reviewed dozens of MRI studies of gambling disorder. Researchers found consistent dysfunction in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, which govern reward anticipation and decision-making.

The authors noted that the same disrupted patterns appear in substance use disorders, reinforcing the classification of gambling as a behavioral addiction with biological underpinnings.

• Impaired connectivity between impulse-control regions and reward centers.
• Similar neural signatures to cocaine and alcohol dependence.

Study Connects Sports Betting to Mental-Health Decline

In a 2024 study published in Psychiatry Research, researchers examined mental-health outcomes among adults aged 18–29 who engage in sports betting. They found markedly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and at-risk gambling compared to non-sports bettors.

The authors warned that sports betting, when combined with mobile access and constant marketing, has become a significant contributor to mental-health decline in younger adults.

• Frequent bettors were 3–5× more likely to report clinical anxiety or depression.
• Mental-health harms scaled with betting frequency and app usage intensity.

Sports Betting Apps Use Dark Patterns To Fuel Addiction

A meta-analysis published in Addiction found that modern gambling platforms employ manipulative design tactics—called “dark patterns” and “sludge”—to keep users betting longer.

These include high suggested bet sizes, delayed withdrawals, and nonstop notifications that make it difficult for users to stop. Researchers concluded that these systems are intentionally engineered to maximize engagement in the same way addictive products are designed.

Live In-Game Betting Mimics Addictive Casino Features

A scoping review in Addiction Research & Theory analyzed structural characteristics of online sports betting and found that features like micro-bets, live in-game wagering, and rapid payout cycles closely mirror those of slot machines and casino games.

Researchers warned that these fast, repetitive betting opportunities increase time and money spent, heightening the potential for addiction.

Mobile Betting Linked to Depression and Gambling Harm in Young Adults

A study published in Psychiatry Research found that frequent sports bettors aged 18–29 were significantly more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and compulsive gambling symptoms compared to non-bettors.

The findings suggest that mobile accessibility and aggressive app promotions amplify psychological distress and increase the risk of developing gambling addiction.

Online Sports Betting Creates Stronger Addiction Than Gaming

Research in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction compared online sports-betting addiction with gaming disorder among treatment-seeking patients.

Those addicted to sports betting showed higher impulsivity, stronger substance-use overlap and more severe psychological symptoms, underscoring that sportsbook mechanics foster a deeper, faster-forming addiction than gaming platforms.

Lawsuits Over Predatory Sportsbook Designs

An increasing number of lawsuits are now being filed nationwide on behalf of young adults who developed gambling addictions after using platforms such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Caesars.

Many of these individuals say they were first exposed to betting through campus promotions or aggressive marketing campaigns that targeted users just as they reached legal gambling age, before they had the maturity or financial stability to manage risk.

The complaints allege that these platforms were deliberately designed to exploit psychological vulnerabilities identified by research. Features like in-game wagering, “risk-free” bets, and push notifications are accused of manipulating users’ reward systems, fostering dependency, and driving repeated losses. Instead of intervening when clear signs of problem gambling emerged, operators allegedly encouraged further play through personalized bonuses and retention tactics.

Plaintiffs claim this business model intentionally mirrors the neurological mechanics of addiction, using behavioral data and algorithmic reinforcement to maximize engagement at the expense of consumer safety.

The lawsuits argue that these companies ignored growing evidence of harm and prioritized profit over public health, particularly among younger adults who are neurologically more susceptible to compulsive behavior.

Who Can File a Sports Betting Lawsuit?

Sports betting addiction lawsuits are being investigated for individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who suffered gambling-related losses exceeding $10,000 after using online platforms such as:

• Barstool Sportsbook
• Hard Rock Bet
• FanDuel
• DraftKings
• BetMGM
• Caesars
• ESPN Bet
• Bet365
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• PointsBet