Online sports bettors spend more, place riskier bets, save less money for the future and are more likely to fall behind on bills than their counterparts who gamble only at casinos or racetracks, a new Urban Institute report released Thursday shows, a gap that is driving a new wave of state and federal regulatory proposals.
The survey, which compared the betting habits and financial outcomes of more than 320 online and in-person sports bettors, found that online gamblers had bet more frequently, spent more money over the previous 12 months and were more likely to have placed high-risk bets.
Online gamblers reported they’d faced greater financial challenges in the prior 12 months than in-person bettors.
