In honor of Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM), America’s leading independent researcher on problem gambling, Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI), as a part of the Financial Stability & Responsible Gambling (FSRG) Initiative (view more), has just published an important report titled, Gambling-Related Financial Harm: A Public Health Approach to Financial Stability in a Digital Era. Below is a quick summary of what the report entails, concluding with a link to download the report, for free, to gain further insight and share with all interested parties.
Brief Overview of the 2026 Report on Gambling-Related Financial Harm in the United States
While KRI / FSRG (in collaboration with UCLA) report addresses the nationwide normalization of online gambling, namely in U.S. states that have legalized sports betting (view map) since the federal ban was removed in 2018, its primary focus is to examine the financial consequences of gambling. More specifically, it points to how financial literacy among certain population groups has not evolved to keep up with advancements in both gambling products and payment technologies. It’s not your typical report on gambling debt statistics.
“This document is not a traditional research report, literature review, or opinion piece. Instead, it is an insights-oriented report that captures early signals and shared concerns emerging across sectors engaged in gambling, finance, and health. It reflects what experts in these fields are observing in real time as gambling products, payment technologies, and digital access continue to evolve. The perspective presented here highlights the convergence of gambling behavior, financial literacy, mental health, and emerging financial technologies. By focusing on lived experience, operational insights, and system-level blind spots, this report aims to inform proactive dialogue, policy consideration, and collaborative action before harms become more ingrained and widespread.”
Groups Facing the Highest Risk of Financial Consequences of Gambling in a Modern Era
Anyone who struggles with mild, moderate, or more severe addictive behavior with gambling has a high likelihood of related financial strain. It’s generally the most commonly reported sign and symptom of problem gambling. That being said, some are more vulnerable to experiencing financial harms than others. Among the most important takeaways of the report, is a look at which population groups face the highest risk for the financial consequences of gambling in this modern era. It identifies the following segments as being the greatest beneficiaries of education and support for financial literacy as it applies to online gambling and behavioral/mental health.
i) Youth and Young Adults
“Youth and young adults face heightened exposure to digital payments, peer-driven financial narratives, and gambling-adjacent content, often without corresponding financial literacy or protective safeguards. They are expected to navigate a fast-moving, high-pressure environment where spending and wagering can occur in seconds through digital wallets, contactless payments, microtransactions, and in-app upsells. Despite this growing complexity, most young people in the United States receive limited formal instruction in money management.”
ii) Active and Retired Members of the Military
“Active-duty service members and veterans face distinct financial and psychosocial stressors that increase vulnerability to gambling-related harm and warrant tailored, culturally informed prevention approaches. Elevated exposure to stress and trauma, frequent relocation, social isolation, ready physical and digital access to gambling, and immersion in competitive environments all contribute to heightened risk for problematic gambling behaviors.”
Identifying Gaps in the Current System
Recognizing structural flaws, missing components, and/or inefficiencies within an organized structure – be it an educational institution, business, government, or society – that hinder its ability to protect the wellbeing of a population, is a critical starting point for intervention and prevention. Addressing gaps represents the difference between the current state (financial strain due to gambling behavior) and the desired state (responsible gambling). The report identifies what and where the gaps in the current system persist.
i) Limited Visibility into Early Indicators of Harm
“Limited visibility into early indicators of gambling harm is a persistent challenge across public health systems. Routine screening for problem gambling is rare in primary care settings and is inconsistently included in mental health assessments. Even when screening occurs, early financial warning signs—such as escalating losses, payment patterns, or debt accumulation are not often captured.”
ii) Fragmented Responsibilities Across Sectors
“Responsibility for addressing gambling-related financial harm is fragmented across the U.S. financial and healthcare ecosystems. Banks, credit unions, payment networks, gambling operators, healthcare providers, and regulators each play a role in enabling or responding to gambling activity, yet no shared framework exists to coordinate prevention or early intervention.”
iii) Lack of Shared Tools to Address Gambling-Related Financial Stress
“A consistent theme identified through the Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling working group is the absence of shared language, frameworks, and overarching tools to address gambling-related financial stress across sectors. Emerging research continues to demonstrate the close interconnection between financial health and mental health, yet these domains remain largely siloed in practice (Culli, 2025).”
The report goes on to identify specific short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term opportunities for corrective action, and concludes with summary of the mission.
“Ultimately, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to reduce preventable harm by aligning systems that already influence financial decision-making. By moving from insight to implementation, FSRG offers a path toward a more integrated, responsive, and financially resilient ecosystem – one in which early intervention is expected, collaboration is normalized, and fewer individuals experience gambling-related financial harm.”
View Gambling-Related Financial Harm: A Public Health Approach to Financial Stability in a Digital Era in its entirety below or download here to share as you see fit.