Advocacy Group CASPR Challenges U.S. Gambling Policy and Proposes GLP-1 Medications as Potential Addiction Treatment

Nicholas Reville of CASPR discusses how GLP-1 meds and proactive policy could solve the U.S. gambling crisis. Read the full editorial on modern addiction science.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 26, 2026, 10:49 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Gambling Insider

The Structural Failure of Modern Gambling Consumer Protections

The current regulatory landscape for online gambling in the United States prioritizes reactive measures over meaningful prevention, according to Nicholas Reville, co-founder of the Center for Addiction Science, Policy, and Research (CASPR). Reville argues that the industry has successfully lobbied for "post-addiction" policies, such as help hotlines and counseling, which only engage once a user has already experienced catastrophic financial loss. According to Reville, these apps are intentionally designed and A/B tested to maximize time-on-device and revenue extraction, functioning with fewer consumer safeguards than other risky consumer products like automobiles or pharmaceuticals. He suggests that without a mandate to intervene before addiction fully forms, the burden of harm continues to fall entirely on the individual and their family.

Medical Innovation as a Scalable Solution for Addiction

In a shift toward biological interventions, CASPR is exploring the potential of GLP-1 medications, commonly used for obesity and diabetes, to treat behavioral addictions like gambling. Reville notes that while traditional addiction policy has been locked in a tug-of-war between prohibition and harm reduction, novel therapies could transform society's relationship with the disorder. He points to anecdotal evidence suggesting that these medications can significantly dial down the neurological "craving dial" that drives compulsive behaviors. By funding pilot programs that provide these treatments off-label, CASPR aims to demonstrate that addressing the biological roots of craving may be the most effective way to stabilize individuals who have failed to respond to traditional talk therapy or self-exclusion programs.

Debunking the Black Market Narrative in State Legislatures

A primary argument used to justify the rapid legalization of online gambling is the supposed suppression of offshore, unregulated markets, but Reville contends this narrative is demonstrably false. He explains that legalizing and normalizing gambling through massive advertising campaigns and app store availability actually increases the total volume of gambling across all platforms. According to Reville, when a behavior is culturally normalized, it drives higher engagement in both the legal and the gray markets simultaneously. This sug...