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Gambling addiction can ruin your life. It can cost you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, your job, quality of life, and even your family. You don’t have to take this lying down. A gambling addiction attorney in your area can help you hold an online gambling platform liable for your losses.
Call The Goldwater Law Firm to get started today with a free consultation.
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What an Attorney Can Do for You
Holding an online gambling platform liable for your harm can feel impossible without an attorney. This is especially true if you are attempting to crawl your way back from tens of thousands of dollars in debt or working on your mental health. One of our co-counsels near you can handle all the following on your behalf:
- Determine whether you qualify for a claim or lawsuit
- Establish your losses, which could include reviewing your financial records to demonstrate exactly how far in debt you are, reviewing your medical records for deteriorating mental health or any suicide attempts, and discussing your addiction with friends and family who can illustrate how it affected you and them (e.g., withdrawing, mood swings, depression, or even stealing money)
- Determine a fair value for your case, accounting for all of your damages
- Determine whether you would be better served by an individual lawsuit or a mass tort, and if so, help you join the mass tort or create one
- Build a robust case on your behalf, demonstrating that the gambling app was negligent or purposefully exploited your addiction for its gain
- Negotiate for a fair settlement, as our co-counsels know that insurance companies often offer very low settlements in the hopes that you will accept what you can get
- Prepare your case for court
- Represent you at trial if necessary
Suffered Online Gambling Addiction?
Why You Want to Work With The Goldwater Law Firm
The Goldwater Law Firm team has dedicated the past 20 years to seeking justice for people injured by greedy corporations. We refuse to stand by while online gambling companies take advantage of vulnerable people and exploit their addictions.
We know you are scared and likely angry at yourself and the company that allowed your addiction to progress this far. We also know that you have a family and friends who rely on you. We’ll treat you with the compassion and empathy you deserve while working to hold the greedy corporation liable for your losses.
We partner with some of the biggest and most successful firms nationwide to ensure we can help people in all states where online gambling is allowed. Our co-counsels have access to our extensive network of resources, allowing them to build a strong case on your behalf. For example, your case may need an addiction expert and a gambling expert to establish how the dark patterns within the gambling app kept you spending money long past when you knew it was financially irresponsible. Our team will ensure your attorney has access to the experts you need.
We can connect you with an online gambling lawyer who shares these values.
Affording a Gambling Addiction Attorney Near You
Gambling has taken enough from you. Our law firm partners won’t take any more money from your pockets. We only work with firms that handle cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay your attorney any upfront fees. You only pay them if you win your case.
If you’ve been avoiding hiring a lawyer to sue a gambling app because you thought it was too expensive, know that help is now within reach.
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Do I Need a Gambling Addiction Lawyer?
You technically can handle your gambling addiction lawsuit case yourself. However, these cases are notoriously complex. In fact, Tim Fong, an addiction psychiatrist and the co-director of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program, said, “The laws in any state regarding mobile sport betting and how it’s supposed to be done are so fuzzy and they change so quickly.”
To handle your case on your own, you need to have an in-depth understanding of these ever-changing laws and know exactly how to apply them to your case. You will also need to manage every detail and aspect of your case while funding the entirety of it. This could easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
Our co-counsels have the experience, knowledge, understanding, and resources to handle these cases.
Qualifying for a Gambling Addiction Lawsuit
A gambling addiction attorney from one of our law firm partners can help you fight for the compensation you need if you qualify. We recommend that you call us if the following apply to your situation:
- You used FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and/or BetMGM within the United States;
- You began using one or more of these apps between the ages of 18 and 25;
- You are currently between the ages of 19 and 35;
- You have at least $50,000 in gambling debt, OR you have at least $25,000 in gambling debt and attempted suicide as a result of your addiction (or you are the loved one of someone who committed suicide as a result of their addiction); and
- You have not filed for bankruptcy.
Who Can an Attorney Hold Liable for the Effects of My Gambling Addiction?
Our co-counsels can help you hold any of the following gambling platforms liable:
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
Schedule a Free Case Review
What Is a Gambling Addiction Lawsuit Worth?
It’s impossible to determine what your case is worth without first investigating your situation and establishing exactly how your gambling addiction has affected you and your family. Once your attorney has identified all your damages, they can determine a fair settlement value. Your damages could include:
- Compensatory damages (your attorney can help you understand exactly which financial damages you could recover)
- Emotional distress and other non-economic damages
- Legal costs
Have There Been Any Settlements or Awards in Gambling Addiction Cases?
Yes, there have been hundreds of millions awarded in gambling addiction cases.
In 2023, U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik approved a $415 million class-action settlement against DoubleDown Interactive LLC and International Game Technology PLC.
In 2022, online casino Zynga agreed to a $12 million settlement to end a class action lawsuit against it.
In 2021, a court ordered DraftKings to create two settlement funds, one with 7,280,000 DK Dollars and one with $720,000. However, this settlement could have harmed the plaintiffs as DK Dollars cannot be withdrawn. While they are “cash equivalents,” the user must use these funds in a DraftKings contest or bet (and win) to withdraw them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gambling disorder is recognized in DSM-5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a non-substance-related disorder. Gambling addiction is as real as any other addiction, and you should be able to hold the people who exploited that vulnerability liable for the harm they caused.
Your brain’s reward system is triggered by “stimuli,” which can be natural rewards or artificial stimuli. A natural reward is something like exercise or social interaction. An artificial stimulus can include drinking, drugs, gaming, or gambling.
These artificial stimuli “hijack” the reward system by producing excessive amounts of dopamine, according to Penn LPS Online. This is dangerous because the more you are exposed to these artificial stimuli, the less dopamine your brain produces, decreasing the pleasure you feel from your natural rewards. The brain then begins to rely on these artificial rewards for pleasure.
You may then go through withdrawal if you don’t do these activities, as your body is waiting for that dopamine release. This leads you to continually bet, even if you know it affects you negatively.
Any type of gambling can be addictive. However, according to Scientific American, certain types can be more dangerous.
A slot machine is more dangerous than poker because of its fast pace. With poker, you need to wait for the dealer to deal the cards, for the other players to place their bets, and for someone to win or lose. With a slot machine, online casino, or online sports betting, the time between betting and winning or losing can be almost instantaneous. You’ll need to wait to see if you win or lose a sports bet, but you can make multiple bets simultaneously.
An audit from the U.K. also found that online betting apps make it much easier to do things on the app that keep you there (and keep you betting) than to leave the app or limit your usage. For example, signing up for a betting app might only require one or two clicks, a sign-in page, and a deposit page, while closing your account is much more difficult. The options to close your account might be hidden, or you may need to go through several steps to close.
It may also be much easier to make a bet or deposit money than to limit how much you spend.
Get Connected With a Gambling Addiction Lawyer Near You Today
Our team is ready to listen to your story and help you however we can. Call The Goldwater Law Firm today to connect with an attorney from one of our law firm partners near you. We offer free consultations.