New York-based Birches Health published clinical data on the results of its virtual treatment program for gambling disorder. The release is dated January 8, 2026, and was issued from New York City.
The company said that the program, built on evidence-based approaches, is associated with a notable reduction in symptom severity of gambling addiction and comorbid conditions, including anxiety. It also noted higher early patient retention compared with average industry benchmarks.
Results after nine sessions and what was measured
The publication is based on an assessment of patients’ condition after nine sessions. This checkpoint makes it possible to compare progress at an early stage of therapy, when for many addictions the risk of discontinuing treatment is especially high.
Birches Health presented key metrics as aggregated results for clients who completed this stage. The company emphasizes that this concerns not only gambling-related behavior, but also psychological symptoms that often occur alongside it and reinforce one another:
- 85% of patients reported improvement in gambling disorder symptoms after nine sessions
- 68% of patients showed a clinically significant reduction in anxiety
- Early patient retention exceeded industry benchmarks by 29%
At the same time, the release does not disclose details of the specific scales used and the thresholds for clinical significance, nor does it provide a breakdown of results by subgroups, for example by age or type of betting. This leaves room for questions about the generalizability of the conclusions across different groups of gamblers and different engagement scenarios.
How the data were collected and what is known about the sample
Birches Health stated that the data were compiled by an independent researcher. The base consists of results from hundreds of the company’s clients who entered treatment with high baseline symptom severity.
Such a description of the sample is important for interpretation. On the one hand, improvements against a backdrop of high initial severity may indicate the practical significance of the intervention. On the other hand, without a control group and without a description of how comorbid diagnoses and medication support were accounted for, causal relationships remain a matter of debate.
Gambling disorder in a gray area between medicine and public perception
Although gambling disorder has been officially recognized as a diagnosable condition for more than ten years and is included in DSM-5, it is often perceived as financial irresponsibility or moral weakness. In this context, seeking medical help may be delayed, and the demand for specialized therapy is lost amid everyday, lay explanations.
Birches Health describes a typical trajectory as a prolonged period of shame and financial harm, after which symptoms escalate and affect relationships, work performance, and mental health. The company notes that many people enter the care system only after recurring crises, when family and support networks are significantly depleted.
Betting is always online and the gap between the gambling market and clinical care
The growth of mobile betting and online casinos has expanded exposure, making access to gambling nearly continuous. In essence, for some users gambling stops being an event and becomes background noise—like a news feed that is always nearby and constantly offers a new stimulus.
Most new games are a mix of simplicity and fast-paced gameplay. They are mostly short rounds lasting no more than 10–15 seconds. This timing creates the illusion that a player can always stop. In reality, the principle at work is that “just 10 more seconds” is not very much. Crash games are characterized by the shortest rounds, followed by slots and Plinko, and third in terms of round length is live roulette. The website for XXXtreme Roulette www.xxxtremeroulette.com states that a round lasts from 25 to 50 seconds. In that time, the player has time both to place a bet and find out whether the bet won.
Short rounds mean a shorter dopamine-reward cycle, which conditions the brain to constant stimulation. In slower games, players have time to cool off, whereas the faster the cycle, the less time there is to engage rational thinking. All these factors significantly accelerate the development of addiction.
Against this backdrop, clinical infrastructure, workforce training, and the availability of specialized programs are developing more slowly. Birches Health notes that historically many help options were limited to 12-step communities, crisis hotlines, or work with generalist therapists without training in gambling addiction.
Birches Health’s model and the rationale for a comprehensive intervention
At the core of the company’s approach is a combination of several support formats. This model is based on the idea that gambling addiction rarely exists in a vacuum and is often associated with anxiety, debt, and family conflict.
The program includes several components:
- Individual therapy
- Group counseling
- Peer support from people with lived experience of addiction
- Financial wellness coaching
Clinically, the program relies on cognitive behavioral therapy, i.e., work with thoughts, triggers, and habitual patterns of behavior, as well as motivational interviewing, a support method that strengthens intrinsic motivation for change without pressure. Birches Health states that treatment plans are individualized and take into account the disorder’s impact on finances, relationships, and mental health, and that the typical duration of support is 6 or 12 months.
Executive quotes and insurer interest
Birches Health Founder and CEO Elliott Rapaport said that gambling addiction has long been undertreated and that many people for years do not know where to turn for specialized help. According to him, the published figures reflect changes in patients’ day-to-day lives when specialized treatment becomes accessible.
SVP of Strategy Andrew DiGiacomo linked the results to insurers’ and employers’ interest in measurable programs that can potentially reduce the total cost of care through earlier intervention. The company believes that timely therapy may reduce the likelihood of escalation to acute psychiatric crises and calls to emergency services, although no specific economic estimates are provided in the release.
Geography, insurance coverage, and plans for 2026
Birches Health reports that it provides virtual care in all 50 U.S. states and works with commercial insurers and state health departments. The company presents this as an attempt to remove geographic and financial barriers that are especially pronounced in regions with a shortage of trained specialists.
During 2026, Birches Health plans to expand its clinical dataset as new partnerships with insurers and states come online. The release emphasizes that accumulating data is seen as a way to more precisely describe effectiveness and retention across different patient groups, but the parameters of the future analysis have not yet been disclosed.