Online Sports Bettors 15 Times More Likely to Miss Bill Payments Than In-Person Gamblers, Study Finds

Online sports bettors are 15 times more likely to report missing a bill payment than people who only gamble in person at casinos or racetracks, according to a new Urban Institute report released Thursday that’s adding fuel to a growing wave of state and federal proposals targeting mobile sportsbook regulation. The survey compared the betting habits and financial outcomes of more than 320 online and in-person sports bettors and found consistently worse financial indicators among the online group across nearly every metric measured.

Beyond missed bill payments, the report found online bettors placed wagers more frequently, spent more money over the prior 12 months, and were considerably more likely to have placed high-risk bets compared to their in-person counterparts. Online gamblers were also twice as likely to report saving less money than they otherwise would have, a pattern the report found was more pronounced among sports bettors earning under $50,000 annually and among younger bettors between ages 18 and 29.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Research

The Urban Institute findings echo a string of academic studies published over the past year documenting the financial toll of legal sports betting’s rapid expansion. A March 2026 Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis found credit delinquency rates rose approximately 0.3% across the general population in states that legalized sports betting, even though legal bettors made up just 3% of the population studied. Among that smaller group who actually took up betting after legalization, credit delinquencies spiked more than 10%, with the sharpest increases concentrated among bettors under 40.

A separate study led by UCLA economist Brett Hollenbeck, using data from the University of California Consumer Credit Panel covering roughly seven million adults, found that online betting access increased bankruptcy likelihood by 10% and debt collection amounts by 8%, with effects typically emerging about two years after a state’s legalization took effect. Hollenbeck’s research also found average credit scores declined by 0.8 points in states with legal online betting compared to those without it.

What It Could Mean for Regulation Going Forward

Taken together, the growing body of research is giving ammunition to lawmakers and regulators pushing for stricter oversight of mobile betting products specifically, as opposed to sports betting broadly. Proposals gaining traction in various states include deposit limits, mandatory spending trackers, restrictions on credit card funding of betting accounts, and caps on promotional offers that critics argue encourage bettors to chase losses or bet beyond their means.

For an industry that has spent heavily to market itself as a mainstream, low-risk form of entertainment, reports like this one complicate that narrative at a moment when several states are still weighing whether to legalize online sports betting at all. Bettors concerned about their own habits or looking for support resources can find free, confidential help through the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-GAMBLER or ncpgambling.org. As more research links online betting specifically, rather than gambling generally, to worsening financial outcomes, expect the push for online-specific safeguards to keep building momentum in state legislatures nationwide.