Opinion: Legalizing online gambling will harm D.C.

The D.C. Council is currently considering legislation to legalize internet gambling, or iGaming. Online real-money slot and table games are currently legal in only eight states. Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder introduced the bill earlier this month as a way to regulate illegal gaming and generate much-needed revenue for a budget-strapped District.

As a problem gambling expert and advocate, I must warn the District and its leadership that the costs of this kind of gambling expansion far outweigh the promised revenues online casinos offer. 

It is important to understand what this new bill would mean for D.C. residents. It is, in truth, a proposition that risks trapping children, youth, and vulnerable residents into a cycle of digital addiction, financial ruin, increased domestic violence, crime, and lasting mental health impacts. That is why the Virginia legislature rejected a measure to legalize online casinos earlier this year.

Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar casinos, online gambling is a frictionless experience. Rather than making a conscious decision to go to a casino, people can simply swipe open the same devices we all use for school, work, and communication with loved ones. A Harvard public health expert estimates online casinos are ten times more addictive than other gambling products because they are readily available 24/7, and online casino operators design their product to keep users engaged and playing.

Numerous studies have shown that the widespread legalization of online sports betting has affected communities, with increases in bankruptcies and a growing number of young people beginning to gamble before they are legally allowed to do so.

This proposed bill allocates funds to D.C. government agencies and departments to help mitigate risks, and proponents say regulated online casinos are a way to keep children away from these games. However, as we have seen in other states, young people are already circumventing the so-called safeguards these companies have in place for their online sportsbooks and wagering millions.

According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, adolescent problem gambling is linked to a range of serious consequences, including academic struggles, depression, suicide, and substance abuse. College students are facing gambling addiction at twice the rate of the general population, and sports bettors are nearly twice as likely to engage in heavy alcohol consumption as non-gamblers.

Communities of color also bear a disproportionate brunt of the harm that gambling expansion causes. Research shows that 24% of African American youth are already gambling at a heavy rate, compared to just 15% of their white counterparts.

The District clearly cares about the impact technology, particularly smartphones, can have on the mental health and well-being of young people. The D.C. Council already implemented a bell-to-bell cellphone ban at the beginning of the school year to curb anxiety and digital distraction. To then turn around and legalize online casinos would undermine the very protection D.C. Council members have previously supported. 

Finally, let’s be clear that this is not a new revenue source with no costs to the D.C. Council’s constituents. In fact, those experiencing the most harm will pay the highest price. A recent study in Connecticut revealed that 71% of total gambling revenue in the state came from just 7% of those who were gambling. All of them were either at risk for or already struggling with problem gambling.

Rushing to adopt online gambling without factoring in the massive costs of addiction and family instability could create decades of damage. 

Policies intended to generate public good should not rely on private harm. This is not an

argument against innovation. It is a call for careful consideration. If online casinos are to be considered, it should be done with a full accounting of its social impact.

Targeting the most vulnerable to balance the budget is nothing short of monetizing a mental health crisis.

The legislation is currently before the D.C. Council’s Committee on Human Services, with a public hearing scheduled for Monday, May 4, at 1 p.m. D.C. residents must make their concerns heard and not allow a budget deficit to be balanced on their backs. 

Brianne Doura-Schawohl is an international problem gambling advocate and expert. She is the founder and CEO of Doura-School Consulting LLC, in addition to serving as the director of the national Campaign for Fairer Gambling.