CasinoReviews.net has released a five-year analysis of U.S. Google search behavior, revealing a striking contrast between states with regulated online wagering and those without.
The study found that eight of the ten metropolitan areas generating the highest levels of “gambling addiction” searches are located in states without regulated online casinos.
Published ahead of Responsible Gaming Education Month in September and the start of the NFL season, the analysis examines Google Trends data from August 2021 through February 2026 across nearly 200 U.S. metropolitan areas.
The research compares searches for the crisis-related term “gambling addiction” with the prevention-focused term “gambling helpline,” highlighting notable differences in player awareness and help-seeking behavior across regulated and unregulated markets.
Key Findings
- Among the study’s most significant findings, eight of the top ten metros for “gambling addiction” searches are located in states without regulated online casinos, including Beaumont-Port Arthur and Abilene-Sweetwater in Texas, Cheyenne in Wyoming, and Great Falls in Montana.
- The analysis found that “gambling addiction” searches appeared in 199 metropolitan areas, while “gambling helpline” searches were recorded in just 35 markets. Notably, the leading helpline-search metros were all located in states with legal, regulated online wagering and mandatory responsible gaming disclosures, including the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline.
- Researchers also identified a significant increase in national helpline searches beginning in early 2023, coinciding with the launch of legal online sports betting in Ohio and Massachusetts. Search activity continued to grow throughout 2024 and into the current NFL betting cycle.
- Meanwhile, five focus metros located in unregulated or grey-market jurisdictions showed no measurable helpline search volume over the entire five-year period, despite ranking among the nation’s highest for addiction-related searches.
- Another notable finding showed that Helena, Montana ranked first nationally for Gamblers Anonymous searches, despite operating under a lottery-only sports betting model without a broader commercial online gambling framework.
Regulation and Awareness
According to the analysis, the data suggests a relationship between responsible gaming awareness campaigns and help-seeking behavior.
In regulated markets, helpline information is commonly displayed across gambling advertisements, betting apps, promotional emails and other customer-facing materials. The research found that metro areas such as Cincinnati and Boston saw measurable increases in gambling helpline searches only after regulated online betting launched in their respective states.
By contrast, residents in markets such as Beaumont and Abilene often access offshore casinos or sweepstakes-style products that typically operate outside many of the responsible gaming protections required in regulated jurisdictions. Search behavior in these markets showed higher levels of addiction-related queries but little evidence of preventive help-seeking activity.
The findings also indicate that legalization alone may not be sufficient. Wyoming, which legalized online sports betting, still ranked among the nation’s leading markets for gambling addiction searches while recording no measurable gambling helpline search activity. This suggests that the effectiveness of consumer protection measures may depend on the broader regulatory framework and visibility of responsible gaming information rather than legalization alone.
Responsible Gaming Discussion
The report arrives as Responsible Gaming Education Month approaches and the NFL season prepares to enter one of the busiest wagering periods of the year.
For policymakers, regulators, operators and responsible gaming advocates, the findings provide new insights into how consumers respond to responsible gambling messaging. The research suggests that mandatory disclosures and awareness campaigns may influence when and how players seek support, while areas lacking similar protections continue to generate higher levels of crisis-related search behavior.
CasinoReviews.net noted that the analysis offers a rare, data-led examination of gambling-related consumer searches across the United States, providing regulators and industry stakeholders with additional context as discussions around online gambling expansion and consumer protection continue.
The full dataset, methodology and metro-level rankings are available from CasinoReviews.net upon request.
Methodology
The study analyzed Google Trends web search data across all categories within the United States from August 2021 through February 2026. Results are based on relative per-capita search indices rather than absolute search volumes. Nevada metropolitan areas ranked highly for both gambling addiction and gambling help-related terms, reflecting the state’s longstanding concentration of land-based gaming activity.
