Gambling was first recognized as a psychiatric disorder in 1980 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), prior to DSM-5 reclassification as “gambling disorder” and placement within the Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders category in 2013. But well before then, when Mesopotamians of the Paleolithic period started rolling six-sided dice for silver shekels, a concerning proportion of the population exhibited signs of problematic gambling behavior. From that moment on (or earlier) conversations about what may be the most dangerous form of gambling have circled councils of elders and public assemblies alike. The debate grew more complex as gambling evolved and new forms of the activity were invented. Then, when enterprise software and the internet exploded onto the scene in the 1990s to deliver the first wave of online casinos and sports betting websites (between 1994-1996) the discourse drove off the rails.
Before we can look at which form of gambling is the most dangerous to anyone who is considered “at risk” of problematic gambling behavior, we must first itemize the various forms of gambling that exist, at press. To date, gambling types include the following:
*Some choose to debate as to what is and isn’t considered a gambling activity. For cases where there may be purported grey area, we have provided links to articles for insight into why certain activities have been included.
- Land-based and online casino games (blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, et cetera)
- Social and sweepstakes based online casinos (view more here)
- Lottery (view more)
- Bingo (view more)
- Online trading (stocks, currency, etc.)
- Online prediction markets (view more)
- Parimutuel wagering (horse racing, dog racing, jai alai, etc.)
- Online sports trading (view more)
- Daily fantasy sports DFS (view more)
- Land-based and online sports betting
The gambling industry has come along way since Mesopotamian dice rolling, hasn’t it?
Through the past three decades to coincide with the era of digital transformation, researchers have looked at a variety of factors that they see as contributing to the dangerousness of certain gambling forms. These include the following:
- Accessibility: Those that make it easier for participants to gamble from anywhere at anytime, with limited onboarding required.
- High event frequency and rapid play: Games that deliver quick outcomes (i.e. slots) and allow for rapid and repetitive betting.
- Dark pattern UX design: Games that have been designed to keep gamblers gambling with greater frequency, for longer periods of time, and with higher wager amounts (view more on dark pattern UX).
- Social isolation: Online gaming platforms that offer gamblers anonymity, removing social barriers and concern/judgement from peers, which contribute to gambling been deemed to the “secret addiction”.
Research has provided valuable insight into the harms associated with various types of gambling, although there has been no definitive conclusion. And while the discussion will persist and grow as new forms of gambling are introduced to the populous, there is a case to be made for one type that accompanies sports betting and DFS – player proposition betting (or “player props”). These are wagers that sportsbooks offer that allow members to place bets on individual player performances which do not necessarily relate to the final win/loss outcome of a game or event.
On the surface, player prop betting may seem harmless enough, but over the last few years it has come to light that reality exhibits quite the contrary. Not only is it associated with the usual harms of problem gambling is has spawned negative consequences that span far beyond individual gamblers and their households. Please keep reading.
A Case for Why Player Prop Bets May be the Most Dangerous Form of Gambling in America
Players Placed in Danger Too
All of the factors used to help identify what may determine what makes a gambling type more dangerous than another are evident in player prop betting in some shape or form. But as addressed in above, what classifies it as particularly hazardous is the fact that it is causing direct and palpable harm to non-gamblers unlike any other form of gambling preceding its existence.
Just yesterday (August 12, 2025) PGA professional golfer Max Homa told ESPN that he had to delete his Venmo account because disgruntled prop bettors demanded that he pay them for losses they sustained based on his performance. On the exact day, NHL Ottawa Senators star Brady Tkachuk spoke out about the same issue with sports bettors on the Venmo platform. It may seem anecdotally amusing to some, but each player went on to discuss the impact the betting public’s behavior has had on their emotional and mental wellbeing. This sentiment is shared by athletes in collegiate and professional sports environments. Last year, the NCAA released a startling report detailing statistics regarding college athlete abuse and harassment by disgruntled sports bettors based on player prop bets. Gambler interactions with young athletes ranged from those that are racially charged and sexist to actual threats of physical violence. Please visit the link below to view the shocking statistics:
ATHLETE ABUSE BY ANGRY SPORTS BETTING: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Compromised Team, League, and Sport Integrity
As if traditional gambling harms (debt, mental health struggles, etc.) and abuse of athletes weren’t enough, player prop bets threaten the integrity of athletic organizations, leagues, and sport as a whole. Whether by choice or coercion from organized gambling rings, there has been a dramatic growth in instances of elite athletes altering their performances to ensure that they, friends, or criminal associates win player prop bets. And these are no small wagers, as in the case of NBA Toronto Raptor, Jontay Porter, millions of dollars in prop bets were allegedly on the line. Recognizing the issue, the NBA (which has had a major gambling problem of late) and its sports betting / DFS partners agreed to ban the allowance of UNDER prop bets. It’s a start, but it’s not enough to mitigate the clear and present dangers of player proposition wagers in sports betting and DFS.
Other Articles You Need to Read
As America’s leading sports betting addiction hotline, Kindbridge Behavioral Health has covered the dangers of player proposition betting quite extensively. For further insight, please reference the articles below.
- Is it Time to Ban Prop Betting in the USA?
- Fantasy Sports Addiction and Player Prop Parlays
- The Problem with Player Prop Bets
Do you join the millions of Americans who also struggle with gambling in any one of its forms? Reach out for a FREE assessment today.
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