Gambling can contribute to poor heart health.
Anything that causes intense psychological stress can be bad for your heart in the long term. Gambling, whether winning or losing, can contribute to heart risks.
Sports betting can be particularly dangerous because sports fans are already at a higher risk of heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association, there is evidence to suggest that heart attacks are more likely for NFL fans after their favorite team loses a big game.
Now, if you add gambling to the equation, the heart health risks would increase to some extent.
The increased risks could be minimal for younger sports fans and bettors who are generally healthy. The dangers would be greater for older individuals who are already most at risk due to their age or other health issues.
Gambling Addiction Worsens Heart Health
Cardiovascular risks also increase if an individual has problem gambling.
Gambling is inherently stressful, but compulsive betting can increase the stress exponentially.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “gambling has been associated with biological measures of stress responsiveness, such as elevated heart rates and cortisol levels, particularly amongst problem gamblers.”
This is perhaps why, anecdotally, casinos have a relatively high number of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). You might notice even more of them in the sportsbook area of your local casino if you live in one of roughly three dozen sports betting states.
Financial Stress From Sports Betting
One of life’s most well-known and devastating stressors is personal finances.
According to the NIH, work stress and financial stress are associated with a “higher risk of acute myocardial infarction.” In more common terms, a heart attack.
“The odds of myocardial infarction were 5.6 times higher in patients with moderate or severe work stress compared to those with minimal or no stress. Patients with significant financial stress had a 13-fold higher odds of having a myocardial infarction,” according to the findings.
Gambling can be devastating to an individual’s finances. A great many sports bettors wager more than they feel comfortable losing, often leading to the dangerous behavior of chasing losses.
Some betting states allow credit cards on gambling sites, but there has been a positive trend in recent months. In early 2025, Illinois became the seventh state to prohibit credit cards for funding a sports betting account.
Summary: Why Sports Betting is Risky for Your Heart
Gambling heart health risks are particularly elevated for older individuals. Here’s a summary of why:
- Financial stress can dramatically increase heart attack risk
- Extreme emotional investment in sports outcomes can increase heart attack risk
- Gambling in general can increase heart attack risk
- Sports betting beyond one’s financial comfort level compounds the risks
According to betting addiction statistics, 30-40% of online sports bettors experience problems.
We recommend abstaining from sports betting if you or someone you know is dealing with:
- Chronic financial stress
- Feels emotionally invested in watching a sports team regardless of betting or not
- Has ever experienced compulsive tendencies in other gambling activities
If you have even the tiniest concern about a gambling heart attack, we recommend consulting a doctor and ceasing gambling.
Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay.
Discover more from GamblingHarm.org
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
