In U.S. counties that allow sports betting, consumer credit delinquencies climbed by a small but noticeable amount in the months and years after legalization. Delinquency rates rose by a slightly lower amount in nearby parts of neighboring states. Sports betting is currently legal in 39 states, plus the District of Columbia.
Onchain gambling reached $51 billion in 2025, while prediction markets reached $54 billion in the first quarter of 2026. TRM Labs says repeat users and stablecoin flows helped the sector remain resilient during a broader crypto market pullback. The firm divided its users into five behavioral groups: Dabblers, Casual Bettors, Event Chasers, Daily Grinders, High Rollers and Whales.
Rick Pitino believes gambling companies are creating addicts for college athletes. Pitino is the St. John's basketball coach. Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is in the middle of a legal battle over his eligibility after allegedly wagering more than $90,000 over four years while playing college football. Sorby was diagnosed with a gambling addiction and an anxiety disorder during a 35-day gambling rehabilitation program.
Gambling addiction is on the rise in the Philippines. There are 32 million Filipino electronic gaming players as of July 2025, almost a fourfold jump from 8.2 million at the end of 2024. Online gambling is legal for citizens who are at least 21 years old and offline gambling activities are also allowed.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) is seeking public comment on the definition of gambling. Jeff Probst called out Kalshi and Polymarket for âspoilingâ the winner of Survivor 50 and accused an editor on MrBeastâs team of insider trading.
Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech's star quarterback, bet at least $90,000 on sports, including on games involving the Indiana Hoosiers when he was on that team's roster as a freshman in 2022. He was banned by the NCAA, but a retired Texas judge gave him a temporary injunction that will allow him to play this season.
Maria Volkova is concerned about prediction markets. She saw an ad for one of them on 42nd Street in New York City yesterday. She is against gambling and she doesn't like to risk her money. The Commodities Futures Trading Commission is looking into whether prediction markets work in the public interest.
David Rotman was at the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, where participants were encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs. He believes that despite the growing hysteria over AIâs threat to white-collar jobs, there is no evidence that the technology has had a large-scale impact on the labor market.
The CFTC has proposed new rules for prediction markets. The draft rules are open for public comment for 45 days. It clarifies that sports event contracts are generally not contrary to the public interest, even though federal law classifies them as âgaming.â It also clarifies election contracts are not considered âgamingâ under the relevant federal laws. The proposal comes as prediction markets continue to gain momentum.