Texas lawmakers are being asked to draw a line between financial speculation and gambling addiction, and doctors say the state’s teenagers are the ones at risk in the meantime. Many treatment centers in The Longhorn State have taken the lead in offering inpatient and outpatient care for any type of addiction. Now, experts urge lawmakers to take an extra step to protect vulnerable minors from compulsive gambling.
The Texas Medical Association has called on state lawmakers to regulate prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which let users place money on the outcome of real-world events including sports, elections and pop culture moments. The association’s proposal includes a minimum participation age of 21, along with restrictions on advertising near schools and parks and limits on social media aimed at younger folks.
Texas Doctors are Concerned
Texas is one of 11 states where traditional sports betting remains illegal, but the Texas Medical Association says prediction markets have opened a legal workaround that exposes young people to the same addictive behavioral patterns as regulated gambling. “Basically, you have a situation right now where high school seniors are legally walking around with Vegas in their pockets,” relayed Dr. Lindy McGee, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and former chair of the Child and Adolescent Health Committee.
McGee noted prediction markets are still too new for researchers to have direct data on their effects on adolescents, but the underlying psychology mirrors gambling problems that have afflicted other states. Youths have weaker impulse control and a stronger drive toward risk-taking, she pointed out, along with less developed thinking about future consequences. Exposure to gambling-like behavior at a younger age, McGee added, can link to a higher likelihood of developing an addiction to gambling and other dependencies later.
The High Stakes of Gambling Addiction
Gambling addiction, also called compulsive gambling or gambling disorder, involves an inability to stop gambling despite financial, relationship or legal consequences. Common signs include gambling to escape stress, chasing losses with bigger bets, hiding gambling activity from family, and continuing to gamble even after significant losses. Since prediction markets are framed as financial trading rather than betting, the Texas Medical Association warns that young users and their parents may not recognize the same warning signs early.
The association’s proposal also calls for barring prediction market ads from using celebrities, cartoons or characters associated with games and shows marketed to children and teens. These would-be bans mirror restrictions already common in tobacco and alcohol advertising.
A Statewide Policy Fight
The push adds to an existing debate in Texas over how to classify prediction markets. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick has directed the Senate State Affairs Committee to study whether the platforms function as a gambling loophole. The Texas Medical Association says it’s already in conversations with state lawmakers about its proposal.
Nationally, several states have moved to restrict or ban prediction markets outright, including Minnesota and New York, though a federal lawsuit filed by Kalshi and Polymarket has stalled that ban.
Help for Gambling Addiction in Texas and Beyond
Families across Texas dealing with a gambling problem, whether tied to prediction markets or more traditional forms of gambling, don’t need to wait for legislation to get support. Signs worth watching for in a teenager or young adult include secretive phone use around betting apps, unexplained spending, mood swings tied to wins or losses, and borrowing money without a clear explanation.
Our searchable directory lists treatment centers across Texas that address behavioral addictions alongside substance use disorders. Call
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