Penn study to examine if weight-loss drugs affect gambling urges
A University of Pennsylvania study will use brain scans to see if GLP-1 medications influence financial risk-taking and gambling behaviour.
A University of Pennsylvania study will soon begin examining whether GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can influence financial decision-making and gambling urges.
The research, funded by digital health company Noom, will involve 180 participants who will undergo regular MRI scans.
Michael Platt, a neuroscientist and professor at Penn's Wharton School, said the scans will track how the drugs affect the brain's reward systems.
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"We believe GLP-1s will ultimately lead to some structural remodeling of the brain, which is where some of those long-term impacts on food choice could show up, but also on financial decision-making," Platt told CBS News.
Researchers will monitor brain activity linked to neurotransmitters like dopamine when participants are shown images of high-risk financial activities, such as a casino floor or a lottery jackpot.
This builds on earlier research suggesting GLP-1 drugs, developed for type 2 diabetes, influence the brain's reward processes.
Dr. Ivania Rizo, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University, has said the medications "turn down" the brain's reward signals, potentially reducing cravings for rewarding behaviours like gambling.
Rizo said the medicines might help reduce cravings not only for food but also for alcohol, shopping, and gambling.
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 20 million U.S. adults have a gambling problem, a number that is increasing.
A recent study by Northwestern Mutual found 17% of U.S. adults are actively engaged in prediction market trading or sports betting.
Participation is significantly higher among younger generations, notably Gen Z (32%) and Millennials (24%), while just 3% of Boomers are betting on prediction markets or sportsbooks.
Commercial and tribal casinos generated almost $125 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2025, an all-time high for player losses.
The figures do not include losses from playing the lottery, trading on prediction markets, or gambling online on unlicensed websites and apps.
The Penn study is being conducted through the university's MindCORE (Mind Center for Outreach, Research, and Education) centre.
GLP-1 drugs were developed to manage blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes but are now used to combat numerous health conditions, from obesity to liver and kidney disease.