The Public Health Advocacy Institute will hold what it calls the first international symposium focused on online gambling as a public health issue in the United States. This is in contrast to the industry’s “responsible gambling” framing.
The in-person event will be held at Northeastern University in Boston on Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
‘Known Addictive Product’
The event brings together leading experts to discuss “what effective regulation looks like, how harm can be reduced, and how policy can better reflect the risks associated with a known addictive product.”
The proposed SAFE Bet Act is one way to establish effective regulation, according to the PHAI.
Recent surveys show a record number of Americans are betting online and experiencing problems with their play. In 2025, Americans spent a record $27 billion on state-sanctioned online gambling. The growth of federally regulated prediction markets adds to the public health crisis.
The event will feature:
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
- Professor Richard A. Daynard
- Dr. Matt Gaskell, MBE
- Professor Mark A. Gottlieb
- Dr. Deborah Haskins
- State Sen. John Keenan (MA)
- Dr. Harry Levant
- Professor Charles Livingstone
- Professor Darragh McGee
- Professor Natasha Dow Schüll
- Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY)
