gambling addiction

19 Stories

There's Been a Quiet, Scary Rise in Sports Gambling
A Sports Gambling
Disaster May Loom
the rundown

A Sports Gambling Disaster May Loom

What addiction experts feared may be coming to pass

(Newser) - What addiction experts feared may be coming to pass. In 2018, the Supreme Court made sports betting a state-by-state decision, and the expected explosion in legal sports betting has followed. Some 33 states and the District of Columbia now allow Americans to bet on live games, something that was illegal...

Mobile Gambling Takes Away a Problem Gambler's Tell

There's no longer the need to explain absences caused by trips to a casino

(Newser) - It's getting increasingly easier to gamble on your phone. In a piece for Vice , Maxwell Strachan looks at how the gambling scene has changed of late and the impact that's having, particularly on young men. He zeroes in on Illinois and New York, which have now legalized online...

Out of Crypto, a 'Particularly Dangerous' Addiction

Investors are increasingly seeking out therapists, who say crypto addicts are akin to gambling addicts

(Newser) - If you follow the roller-coaster ride that is Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other forms of cryptocurrency, you're familiar with the feelings that go along with that habit, especially if you're an investor. And they're not always pleasant feelings, according to mental health experts who say they're seeing...

10 Best, Worst States on Gambling Problems

From Nevada to Nebraska

(Newser) - One state stands alone when it comes to residents with gambling problems—and yes, it's Nevada. It's the only state to crack 60 out of a total score of 100 in a new ranking by WalletHub of "gambling-addicted states," though three others did surpass 50. Essentially,...

Philippine Cops: Casino Attacker Was Indebted Gambler

Dismiss ISIS' claims that Friday attack was terror-related

(Newser) - The lone suspect behind a deadly attack on a casino and shopping complex in Manila was a heavily indebted Filipino gambling addict, police said Sunday, bolstering their claim that the assault was not terrorism-related . The man's family confirmed his identity as Jessie Carlos—a married father of three and...

A Slot Machine's Deception, a Man's Tragic Death
A Slot Machine's
Deception, a Man's
Tragic Death
in case you missed it

A Slot Machine's Deception, a Man's Tragic Death

Scott Stevens killed himself after a 6-year gambling addiction—were the machines to blame?

(Newser) - About 1% of the US population (around 3.2 million Americans ) has a gambling disorder, per the National Center for Responsible Gaming —and the Atlantic tells the tragic story of one of those addicts and how a lawsuit took the entire industry to task for his death. Scott...

Monk Embezzled $200K From Temple to Fuel Gambling Habit

Khang Nguyen Le pleaded guilty

(Newser) - A Buddhist monk accused of embezzling more than $200,000 from his Louisiana temple to feed a casino gambling habit has pleaded guilty to fraud, the AP reports. The Advocate reports that 38-year-old Khang Nguyen Le will be sentenced June 27 after his guilty plea Thursday to one count of...

Compulsive Sex, Gambling Tied to Parkinson's Drugs

Researchers say dopamine agonists should get black-box warnings

(Newser) - Parkinson's drugs are known for a range of side effects, including hallucinations, psychosis, and extreme drowsiness. But researchers say there's also a clear link between the use of some of these drugs and impulse control issues that result in hypersexuality, compulsive gambling, and uncontrollable spending, reports LiveScience . Looking...

Ex-Mayor Had Billion-Dollar Gambling Addiction

San Diego's Maureen O'Connor accused of taking charity funds

(Newser) - That a former politician is accused of embezzling from a charity isn't all that surprising. It's the numbers involved in this case that are staggering: Former San Diego Mayor Maureen O'Connor lost more than $1 billion gambling from 2001 to 2009, reports the Union-Tribune . In fairness, she...

$100K Stolen From Churches by ... Gambling Nun?

Sister Mary Anne Rapp faces grand larceny charge

(Newser) - A New York nun is facing a grand larceny charge today after allegedly stealing more than $100,000 from two churches where she worked … and using the money to reportedly fuel her gambling habit. Sister Mary Anne Rapp is accused of stealing donations from parishioners, and sources tell the...

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?
Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?
new study

Coming Soon: Drug to Treat Gambling Addicts?

New study discovers why some people may take financial risks

(Newser) - Why are some stock traders and gamblers so willing to take financial risks? A new study shares a possible answer: Scientists found that people with higher levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine in a critical part of the brain related to sensory and reward systems are less sensitive to the pain...

Gambling Debt May Have Led to Bronco's Suicide

Kenny McKinley owed loads to casino

(Newser) - Kenny McKinley had a gambling problem and deep debts as a result when he took his own life in September, investigators looking into the wide receiver’s death discovered. One fellow Bronco, backup quarterback Tom Brandstater, told investigators he’d lent McKinley $65,000 to pay down $40,000 he...

Stock Fraudster Sentenced to... Play Poker?

Judge orders gambling addict to play to pay off his victims

(Newser) - A New Mexico stockbroker who confessed to stealing money from his clients so he could gamble has been ordered to… continue gambling. Samuel McMaster allegedly stole $400,000 from his elderly victims, but a judge has allowed him to go free, provided he can win it all back in poker...

Why Gamblers Can't Walk Away
 Why Gamblers Can't Walk Away 

Why Gamblers Can't Walk Away

A near miss gives that winning feeling, study finds

(Newser) - Scientists have unlocked a key to obsessive gambling—the lure of the near miss. In search of the reason gamblers keep playing even after strings of horrible losses, Cambridge University researchers examined the brains of gamblers. They found that a near miss—putting a bet on a horse that finished...

Eat Your Way Out of Addiction: Experts
 Eat Your Way Out 
 of Addiction: Experts 
GLOSSIES

Eat Your Way Out of Addiction: Experts

Foods that help make neurotransmitters may assist treatment

(Newser) - Good grub may be enough to rewire an addict's brain. The trick is to serve up meals that revive pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters disrupted by addiction, neuroscientists say. Foods as simple as steak, milk, and nuts can boost the brain's production of serotonin or glutamine, both of which help addicts recover. But...

Donaghy Gets 15 Months in Gambling Rap

Disgraced NBA ref gets off lightly after lawyer's plea for leniency

(Newser) - Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison today for his role in the NBA gambling scandal, the Sporting News reports, a step down from the 27-33 months recommended by federal guidelines. Donaghy’s lawyers argued that the disgraced referee—who admitted to betting on games he officiated in...

Gambler Sues Casinos for $20M
Gambler Sues Casinos for $20M

Gambler Sues Casinos for $20M

Gambling 'addict' says dens failed to stop her from blowing $1 million

(Newser) - A former New York attorney is suing seven casinos for $20 million, claiming they helped woo her to the tables, and let her continue to play and lose despite an obvious gambling addiction. Workers at Atlantic City and Las Vegas gambling dens should have stopped her from blowing $1 million...

FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref
FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref

FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref

Veteran Tim Donaghy accused of mob ties, illegal bets totaling thousands of dollars

(Newser) - The FBI has officially blown the whistle on an NBA referee accused on illegal gambling. The feds are investigating claims that over the past two years veteran Tim Donaghy officiated a number of games on which he or his associates had placed bets—which might have totaled thousands of dollars....

FBI Probes Gambling Ref
FBI Probes Gambling Ref

FBI Probes Gambling Ref

Mafia-connected NBA official rigged games and earned big bucks over two seasons

(Newser) - The FBI is investigating an NBA referee accused of manipulating point spreads in games he officiated as part of a wider mob-orchestrated gambling ring, the New York Post reports. The official allegedly both reffed and placed bets on numerous games from 2005 to 2007 in a desperate attempt to pay...

19 Stories
Most Read on Newser