It’s officially fall, which means football season is in full swing. For millions of Americans, watching the game now comes with another form of entertainment: betting on it.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that had prohibited states from authorizing sports betting. Since then, online sportsbooks and mobile betting have dramatically changed the gambling landscape. Now, emerging research is looking beyond wins and losses to another question: what happens when the bet comes home?
From household debt and divorce to intimate partner violence, researchers are beginning to uncover some concerning connections between sports betting and family life.
Sports Betting, Finances and Divorce
Financial problems from gambling rarely affect only the person placing the bets.
Research examining household finances following the legalization of online sports betting found associations with reduced savings, increased credit-card debt and overdrafts, particularly among financially constrained households. In a marriage, that can mean money that would otherwise go toward a mortgage, childcare, retirement or savings is instead being wagered.
The impact may extend to the marriage itself. A recent working paper examining divorce patterns following sports-betting legalization across the United States found legalization was associated with approximately a 3% increase in annual divorce rates relative to pre-legalization averages.
That does not mean sports betting causes divorce. However, researchers found that the effects developed gradually, consistent with the possibility that financial pressures and relationship problems build over time.
When gambling losses are hidden from a spouse, the issue can become even more complicated. Under California law, spouses owe each other fiduciary duties concerning community property, including disclosure obligations regarding assets and debts. Secret gambling debts, unexplained withdrawals or concealed spending can therefore create significant issues during divorce proceedings.
Sports Betting and Domestic Violence
Researchers have also studied a more serious connection: gambling and intimate partner violence.
A systematic review found a significant association between problem gambling and intimate partner violence, with more than one-third of problem gamblers across the analyzed studies reporting either experiencing or perpetrating physical intimate partner violence.
The connection between sports and domestic violence has also been studied independently of gambling. Researchers have examined whether major sporting events and unexpected losses correspond with changes in reported intimate partner violence.
Sports betting adds another element to that conversation: financial stakes.
Recent research examining NFL games found that the relationship between unexpected home-team losses and reported intimate partner violence became stronger in states after sports betting was legalized. The effect was particularly pronounced in areas with mobile betting, greater betting activity and around paydays.
These findings do not mean that football or gambling causes domestic violence, nor does losing money excuse abusive behavior. Rather, the research suggests that gambling-related financial losses and stress may interact with existing risk factors for intimate partner violence.
What Does This Mean in California?
Sports betting remains prohibited in California. In 2022, California voters rejected two competing ballot measures that would have expanded sports wagering, including online and mobile betting. More recently, the California Attorney General concluded that daily fantasy sports games constitute sports wagering prohibited under existing California law.
But California families are not necessarily insulated from gambling-related financial or relationship problems.
Gambling can still surface in a California family law matter through depleted community assets, accumulated debts, concealed transactions or other financial activity. It can become particularly concerning when that conduct overlaps with economic abuse or coercive control, such as draining shared accounts, hiding significant debts or controlling a partner’s access to household finances.
Ultimately, whether the bet itself was legal may not be the only family-law question. What may matter is what happened to the family’s money—and whether the behavior affected the family’s financial stability or safety.
When the Bet Becomes More Than a Game
For most people, fantasy leagues and football-season wagers may simply be entertainment. But when gambling contributes to mounting debt, hidden spending, financial control, or concerns about domestic violence, the consequences can extend far beyond game day.
If you have questions about how gambling, hidden debts, or financial abuse may affect a divorce or other California family law matter, the attorneys at Butler Law, PC can help you understand how California law may apply to your circumstances.