Online Sports Gambling

Betting on Your Phone: How Sports Wagering Apps Change the Game — and What You Should Know

Sports betting isn’t just legal now — it’s almost everywhere. Since the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in 2018, 40 states and the District of Columbia have allowed some form of online gambling, transforming what was once a niche activity into a $53 billion industry projected to exceed $93 billion by 2030.

Mobile betting apps from companies like FanDuel and DraftKings have been a primary driver, attracting both longtime and first-time bettors. Today, roughly 1 in 7 American adults bet on sports, and their phones are where most of those wagers happen. Football still dominates, with basketball expected to grow fastest through 2030. But the more interesting story is how the shift from sportsbooks to smartphones has changed betting itself.

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A Different Kind of Bet

Traditional sports betting meant a time and a place: you traveled somewhere, used cash, placed a bet, and waited. App-based betting is something else entirely. According to Shane W. Kraus, PhD, a psychologist and director of the Behavioral Addictions Lab at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the shift is profound.

“App-based betting is continuous, frictionless, and highly tailored,” he says. “You can bet anytime, across countless markets, with customized wagers like parlays and prop bets. That combination — constant availability, low friction, and personalization — changes behavior.”  (Prop – or proposition –  bets are wagers on specific events within a game that do not directly depend on the final score or outcome, focusing instead on player performances, team milestones, or unique game occurrences.)

In 2025, live or in-play betting represented more than 62% of the market, driven by micro-betting products that allow wagers on highly specific outcomes — the next pitch, the next serve, the next possession — with odds recalculating in real time.

Gamification: Keeping You Hooked

These aren’t just betting platforms — they’re designed to behave like games. Kraus describes features like live “cash out” options, parlay progress tracking, bonuses, and push notifications as tools that tap into well-known psychological vulnerabilities.

“Outcomes are often rapid and unpredictable, which reinforces engagement,” he says. “Over time, players can develop a false sense of skill or expertise.”

The expansion goes well beyond the major sports. As betting becomes normalized, Kraus notes, “people may begin seeking out opportunities beyond major leagues.” Platforms now offer odds on niche options like darts, cricket, and MMA, and international leagues. Even more strangely, prediction markets have proliferated — you can now bet on whether a war will break out today.

What Older Adults Should Know

Younger adults tend to be more impulsive and digitally fluent, making them statistically higher-risk for problem gambling. But Kraus cautions that older adults face their own vulnerabilities and concerns.

“They may be less familiar with how these apps are designed — particularly features like in-play betting or push notifications — but often have greater financial resources. That combination can be risky.” Boredom and social isolation, he adds, can also increase vulnerability.

If you’re struggling, know you’re not alone: the National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 2.5 million Americans meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem.

Any Guardrails in Sight?

Problem gambling existed long before smartphones, but the ability to bet from your couch, in private, has multiplied the opportunities for harmful behavior. Regulation is trying to catch up. At the state level, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina have implemented algorithmic triggers requiring operators to flag and intervene with at-risk users.

The sports leagues themselves are pushing back. Following a wave of scandals in 2025 — including federal indictments tied to NBA prop bet manipulation and two Cleveland Guardians pitchers charged with rigging pitches — the NFL and NBA issued memos calling for restrictions on prop bet types deemed to have a “corrosive effect” on their sports. Considering how heavily the leagues have integrated betting into their models, however, don’t expect them to make any strong pushes for limiting betting outright.

Kraus believes design-level changes matter most: mandatory cooldown periods, deposit delays, and limits on push notification frequency — friction built directly into the apps. But he also advises users to create their own sources of friction and lines not to cross.

“There’s no such thing as ‘risk-free’ betting,” he says. “Set clear limits on time and money in advance — and stick to them.”

YOUR TURN

Have you tried online sports betting?  Share your experiences in the comments!

 

Eric Goldschein is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in real estate, business, technology, and sports. His work has appeared in Realtor.com, NerdWallet, Business Insider, and other national publications. A former NBA intern and sportswriter with over a decade of experience in journalism and content marketing, Eric specializes in turning complex topics into accessible stories for consumer audiences.