Dave Ramsey: Gambling is "Fastest Growing Addiction" in U.S.

With online sports betting and casino games available 24/7 on phones nowadays, millions of young adults and long-time sports fans have unprecedented access to gambling. This ease of use and overall normalization of an activity once seen as taboo have created an environment where millions of Americans are at risk of serious gambling harms. 

Financial adviser Dave Ramsey – known for his blunt, practical guidance on debt and money management – has become one of the most outspoken voices warning Americans about the dangers of online gambling. His comments, paired with alarming national statistics, signal the societal impacts of legalized gambling that are emerging nationwide. 

Dave Ramsey’s advice and commentary about gambling

In an early December 2025 interview and radio segment, Ramsey told listeners that online sports gambling has become “the fastest-growing addiction in America… faster than cocaine, faster than drugs of any kind.” His comments were sparked by a call from a father whose 21-year-old son had begun compulsively betting while also experimenting with investing, specifically short-term trading, like options and futures.

Ramsey rejected the idea of “replacing” gambling with speculative trading, stating plainly, “A college student shouldn’t be playing short-term trading, and a college student shouldn’t be sports gambling, period.”

He also compared mobile betting to hard drugs: "This is cocaine. You are screwing around with cocaine. You’re screwing around with fentanyl. You’re screwing around with crack. And it’s going to kill your little butt," he said about online gambling. 

His co-host George Kamel emphasized how app-based gambling relies on algorithms to keep users engaged, encouraging the caller to have his son total his losses. "Make him add it up and then show him what it’s actually costing him both in past and future tenses.”

The hosts stressed that betting apps are deliberately engineered to create fast feedback loops, in-your-face notifications, bonuses and rewards all designed to keep users coming back for more. Ramsey warned that gambling companies are “making billions of dollars at the cost of an entire generation being screwed over.”

Increase in callers with gambling-related problems

There has been a surge in gambling-related calls to The Ramsey Show. The stories reflect a broad cross-section of America.

In previous segments, a woman named Nicole shared that her husband’s gambling wiped out $21,000 in credit cards and nearly all their savings. Another caller, James, reported losing $45,000-$55,000 in just six weeks, escalating from low-risk bets to $5,000 lost in a night. Ramsey urged immediate intervention: counseling, Gamblers Anonymous and complete removal from gambling environments. (Video below)

A 69-year-old retiree, Debra from Sacramento, learned her husband, 79, had secretly gambled away nearly $1 million of their retirement savings on sports bets. Ramsey recommended immediate financial separation, marriage and addiction counseling and issuing an ultimatum to her husband.

Additionally, a family blindsided by March Madness betting reported $25,000 in losses and deepening preexisting debt.

Across these calls, The Ramsey Show consistently reiterates that gambling addiction requires specialized treatment, financial accountability structures and significant lifestyle changes. 

Gambling’s impact on financial health in America

Outside of The Ramsey Show, national data reinforces the concerns Ramsey raises:

• 24.9% of sports bettors report having been unable to pay a bill because of gambling, with some reporting lost rent or utilities.

  
  

• 30% carry gambling-related debts, including credit cards, personal loans or borrowed money.

  
  

• 15% of bettors take personal loans to fund wagers, and 12% use payday loans.

  
  

• 52% of sports bettors carry month-to-month credit card balances.

  
  

States that legalize online betting have seen:

• Bankruptcy filings rising 25-30% within four years

  
  

• Credit scores dropping nearly 1%

  
  

• Higher debt collections and auto-loan delinquencies, particularly among young men in low-income communities.

Gambling-related financial problems are not isolated to individuals with long-standing addiction histories. Young, financially inexperienced bettors targeted aggressively by advertising and gamified app designs are being affected.

Problem Gambling treatment and financial counseling options

The details that gambling-related callers share on The Ramsey Show often align with well-documented signs of gambling disorder.

Effective recovery requires simultaneous support for both the behavioral addiction and the financial impacts. Birches Health provides specialized gambling addiction counseling, group therapy, relapse-prevention planning, support for spouses and family members and financial counseling. They can also help set up gambling blockers, self-exclusion and financial safeguards. Care with Birches is available online, and costs can be covered by insurance or state funding.

Many individuals come to treatment after a crisis, but early intervention is key to sustainable recovery.

If you or someone you care about is struggling, it can’t hurt to have a confidential conversation with Birches Health today. There are multiple options for getting in touch:

Book an appointment
Call 833-483-3838
Email help@bircheshealth.com