Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams raised alarms about the rise of sports betting, likening it to the opioid crisis in a recent post on X. Adams, who served from 2017 to 2021 and guided the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic, warned that exposure to gambling is ensnaring youth, particularly boys, and wreaking havoc on lives much like the neglect surrounding prescription opioids. "Did you know gambling addiction is the addiction most likely to lead to suicide?" he tweeted on August 23, 2026.
Intrigued by the complexities of gambling addiction, Dr. Timothy Fong provided insight into its causes during the pandemic. As a clinical professor of psychiatry and co-director of UCLA's Gambling Studies Program, he explained, "It’s the same as what causes any other addiction. It’s a combination of biological risk factors, psychological risk factors, and social risk factors." He identified elements such as family history of addiction, untreated mental health issues, and environments with easy access to gambling as factors that create addiction potential.
Dopamine, a key neurotransmitter, plays a significant role in gambling addiction. When bettors chase the thrill of a wager, the compound creates a powerful cycle of desire. Chris Swett, a former trial attorney, shared his experience with this addiction in an interview, stating that the excitement from placing bets and tracking games was a constant source of dopamine highs.
"For me, it was about just having the action," he noted, reflecting on his journey. Unfortunately, Swett’s gambling led him to lose his career, and he now faces time in federal prison. Mathew Bowyer, another recovering addict, expressed the internal conflict between seeking the dopamine rush from winning and recognizing the toll it takes.
Swett and Bowyer both had early exposure to gambling, which shaped their views on its risks. Swett described how his father, a police chief who hosted gambling sessions with influential figures, normalized the behavior from a young age. “I was around gambling from an early age, and it all seemed pretty normal to me,” he said.
He recalls how at 16, his father invited him to join the adult games, making gambling a routine activity in his life. With years of perspective, Swett sees it differently now. "It is a powerful, powerful addiction, and every day I craved that hit," he admitted, emphasizing how he constantly checked his phone for gambling-related updates.
He concurred that gambling addiction should be studied and treated comparably to substance addictions.
Another recovering addict, Louis Ruggiero, shared his transformation with CasinoBeats. He described how gambling consumed his identity, saying, "I was so addicted to gambling because that had become my identity." Despite being the guy everyone looked up to for his high-stakes gambling lifestyle, internally, he wrestled with self-loathing, lying, and a façade that was unsustainable.
Ruggiero’s message underscores that his experiences are not isolated; he aims to raise awareness about the widespread nature of this addiction. Along with Bowyer and Swett, he is now dedicated to helping others confront their struggles with gambling addiction.
Each of their harrowing experiences sheds light on the depths of gambling addiction and a community striving for recovery.
