AS MASSACHUSETTS RUSHES HEADLONG INTO ITS LEGALIZATION OF SPORTS BETTING, ACCEPTING THE INDUSTRY'S ARGUMENT THAT REVENUE IS FLOWING OVER STATE LINES [WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THAT BEFORE?] THEY IGNORE THE EXPERIENCES OF OTHER STATES.
THIS ISN'T NEW. THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD TO GAMBLE ARE THE ONES MOST LIKELY TO BE SERIOUSLY HARMED.
Arizona sees gambling addiction surge after sports betting is legalized
PHOENIX — Sports betting is impossible to avoid in Arizona. The constant commercials, billboards, and targeted mobile ads are designed to get you signed up and gambling — and it is working, too.
Arizonans wagered more than $563 million in January alone. While the March numbers have not been released yet, they are expected to be even higher due to the NCAA basketball tournaments.
Every advertisement makes sports betting look like a fun, harmless activity but that is not the reality for millions of Americans.
The "National Council for Problem Gambling" estimates at least a million Americans have a gambling addiction.
In their recent report reviewing sports wagering and addiction, the experts concluded:" The rate of gambling problems among sports bettors is at least twice as high as among gamblers in general. When sports gambling is conducted online, the rate of problems is even higher, with one study of online sports gamblers indicating that 16% met clinical criteria for gambling disorder and another 13% showed some signs of gambling problems."
Sports betting is exploding. This ex-gambler has a $15,000 cautionary tale.
Sports betting in Kansas nears legalization, raises concerns with addiction
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Kansas is nearing the finish line of legalizing sports betting and using it to add another professional sports team to the state’s roster, ideally luring the Chiefs to the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro from Missouri.
Early Friday morning, the Kansas Senate sent the bill to Governor Laura Kelly who is expected to sign it. Kansas would become the 36th state to legalize sports betting.
“There’s a massive amount of interest right now and this is really all about fan engagement,” said Sportrader Head of Government Affairs Brandt Iden.
Most sports betting in Kansas will b run through the four state-owned casinos that can partner with sportsbook platforms to allow for onsite and online betting. Major League Soccer team, Sporting KC will also allow betting at its stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.
Tribal casinos also could eventually open sportsbooks.
State revenues are very important but it’s also protecting consumers, and this is about consumer protections and providing those protections in a regular market,” Iden said.
With the new law, each bet is taxed at 10 percent. Most of the revenue will fund the state’s effort to lure in a professional sports team.
“This is the first time that’s ever been done, and will it be successful? I don’t know, but it’s a great test case,” Iden said.
Final regulations are to be in place by the start of next year.
“That’s as long as the timeline is met,” Iden said. “Folks in Kansas will be able to wager on the Super Bowl in 2023. That’s a very quick timeline because in most states, it takes 8 to 12 months. "
This comes with concern.
“When legislatures are creating new laws, you need to look at both sides of the coin. Not just how much it’s going to bring in, but how much debt it’s going to cause our citizens,” said Kansas certified gambling counselor and South Central Kansas Problem Gambling Task Force Chair Stephenie Roberts.
Gambling counselors say there are a few barriers, especially with mobile apps.
“(I have) had clients in the past who, on every break they had, they were placing a bet, which puts them at great risk,” Roberts said.
The bill Kelly is expected to sign does include some prevention measures including a self-restriction list from placing bets, banning casinos from issuing lines of credits to fund bets and a portion of revenue collected paying into the fund for problem gambling and other additions. That money goes to providing no-cost treatment services.
“Figure out how much you can afford to lose and that’s all you should be gambling,” Roberts said.
The Kansas Problem Gambling help line is 1-800-522-4700. The help line can connect people to no-cost counseling and treatment services.
How Arkansas is battling gambling addiction
Calls to Gambling Hotline Increase 200% Since Sports Betting Legalized
More than 100 million people can stop what they are doing right now and place a legal bet. Since sports gambling and online gambling was legalized in the Fall of 2021, there has been a 200 percent increase in calls to the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.
Many of those seeking help are betting money they can’t afford to lose, or telling themselves that their next bet will help them make up for the hundreds or even thousands of dollars they have already lost.
But the reality is most people will never catch up, and the odds say they could develop an addiction that for some is just as hard to overcome as alcohol or drugs.
J. Craig Allen, MD, vice president of Addiction Services for Hartford HealthCare and medical director of Rushford, said on one hand sports betting, if done in moderation, can be a fun leisurely activity that adds excitement to sporting events. But on the other hand, the addiction can spiral out of control and ruin lives.
His rule of thumb is “hope to win, expect to lose.” To ensure that you don’t go overboard, Allen said:
- Set a limit on time and money.
- Only bet money if you can afford to lose it.
- Gambling should be a social activity, or form of entertainment – not a vocation.
- Do it in social settings, and not alone.
- Gambling should be one of many leisure activities.
Allen said if you have a history of mental health or substance use issues, you are at higher risk to become addicted to gambling and you should avoid it altogether.
He added that with the constant bombardment of ads promoting sports betting, and how easy it has become to gamble – you can play black jack or bet on the night’s baseball games right on your cell phone – the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network is paying closer attention to signs of gambling addiction than ever before and has programs that can help.
According to WebMD, warning signs include:
- Preoccupied with gambling.
- Consistently gamble no matter what the consequences.
- Chasing losses, and not knowing when to quit, day after day.
- Repeated unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop.
- Withdrawal symptoms, including irritability or restlessness.
For help, Allen suggested people go to the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Problem Gambling here or the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling here.
Gambling support can also be found through Gamblers Anonymous and support for family members and loved ones at Gam-Anon.
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