The 2018 Supreme Court PASPA ruling opened mobile sports betting nationwide. DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and others flooded the market with addictive app designs — personalized push notifications, loss-chasing promotions, same-game parlays, and targeted "free bet" offers timed to vulnerable moments. Lawsuits allege these platforms knew they were exploiting users with gambling disorder and deliberately designed their products to maximize compulsive use, causing financial ruin, family destruction, and suicide.
DSM-5 Gambling Disorder is an established clinical diagnosis with neurobiological basis — similar dopamine dysregulation as substance use disorders. Platform design features (variable ratio reinforcement via same-game parlays, 24/7 access, personalized notifications during losing streaks) are alleged to have caused and amplified addiction. Internal documents showing A/B testing on at-risk users are the key discovery target.
Post-PASPA (2018) explosion of mobile sports betting created mass exposure. Claims allege platforms use predatory design (push notifications, "free bet" promotions, same-game parlays) to exploit DSM-5 gambling disorder. Litigation mirrors social media MDL theory: platform knew users were addicted and amplified behavior for profit. First lawsuits filed in 2023–2024 in state courts. No MDL formed yet.