Posted on: October 14, 2023, 09:18h. 

Last updated on: October 16, 2023, 01:07h.

The soaring popularity of weight-loss drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, is already having profound effects on some industries. Casino gaming could be among the groups that are vulnerable to broader usage of pharmaceuticals designed to help patients lose weight.

In a recent report to clients, Bank of America analysts covering multiple industries highlighted various corners of Corporate America that could potentially benefit or be hampered by more people asking doctors for weight-loss drugs — known as GLP-1 agonists. Analyst Shaun Kelley noted that current research suggests there’s a relationship between obesity and problem wagering.

He estimates that casino customers that display problematic betting patterns account for 10% to 30% of industry revenue. Some members of that cohort are also obese, indicating that if they gravitate to weight-loss drugs, a headwind for the gaming industry could