Key Insights | Behind the Bet Addressing: Gambling and Mental Health Among Young Men

Young men are coming of age in a gambling environment unlike anything previous generations have faced. Sports betting has expanded from roughly $5 billion in 2018 to more than $166 billion in 2025, and gamified investing platforms, prediction markets, and algorithm-driven social media have made gambling-related harm harder to see and easier to fall into.

The Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling (FSRG) Initiative’s recent webinar brought together Jonathan Cohen of the American Institute for Boys and Men and Dr. Timothy Fong of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program for a conversation moderated by Dr. Daniel Kaufmann of Kindbridge Behavioral Health. The discussion explored why young men are particularly vulnerable and what earlier, more effective support could look like for Men’s Mental Health Month.

Cohen described the current moment as a “toxic cocktail of social, biological, and economic circumstances”—poor labor market outcomes, declining friendships, rising mental health challenges—paired with supercharged gambling apps designed to leverage those conditions. This generation, he noted, is functioning as “beta testers” for gambling’s societal effects, much as young people were for social media.

Dr. Fong emphasized the bidirectional relationship between gambling and mental health. Young men use gambling to cope with emotional pain, and gambling simultaneously worsens depression, anxiety, and isolation. Harm isn’t limited to those with clinical gambling disorder. Many young men experience significant consequences before reaching that threshold.

Most seek treatment only at a point of crisis. Dr. Fong flagged a key emerging pattern: the “video game reset” mentality, where young men believe continued gambling will allow them to recover losses. He also cautioned providers to update their intake questions. Asking about gambling debt is no longer sufficient since many young men drain savings accounts without accumulating credit card or other debt. A better question is “How much financial harm has gambling caused you?”

The panelists discussed the challenges with conveying messages to young men and that academic messengers often miss the mark entirely. The more effective reframe isn’t “gambling is bad.” It’s helping young men understand how the platforms are designed, understanding the odds, and demystifying some of the false beliefs about gambling.

What would most help? Cohen points to supporting young men in developing rootedness and belonging, and in finding activities that bring genuine joy. Dr. Fong emphasized optimism, productivity, and giving young men a sense that they can be good at something.

Gambling-related harm among young men is rarely just a gambling problem but rather a signal of financial stress, disconnection, and mental health needs that often go unaddressed until a crisis arises. The earlier we recognize those signals, the more room there is to intervene before harm escalates.

To hear these perspectives directly from the panel, watch the full webinar recording here.