By Clay Gordon
WBNS – 10TV
With the NFL season in the hunt for the playoffs, college football playoffs approaching and basketball and hockey season underway, more people than ever are placing bets, leading to a surge in gambling-related issues.
“Now more than ever before, people are getting skin in the game. They’re placing more and more bets and having more problems associated with their gambling,” explained gambling addiction specialist Abdullah Mahmood, who works for Maryhaven.
The most addictive bets are known as parlays.
“The industry knows this as well. It’s like playing the numbers on a lottery ticket, right, like what we call parlays in sports betting,” said Mahmood. “Now I can micro bet. I can bet within plays.”
Mahmood said this is leading to a disturbing trend across the country, raising aggression toward student-athletes.
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, explained it in testimony this week to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Bets on players’ individual performance, mobile online sports gambling technology provides opportunities to enhance responsible gambling features including setting personalized limits and self-exclusion programs,” said Whyte. “But it also further increases risk factors for gambling addiction. And it’s clear gambling problems have grown over the past six years, especially among young male online sports betters.”
In Ohio, steps have been taken to mitigate these issues. The Casino Control Commission has made it illegal to place bets on individual athletes and launched the “More Than a Bet” campaign to provide resources for student-athletes and students facing gambling-related harassment.
Mahmood said how you react to losing a bet or placing a bet could be a sign of a larger problem.
“If you feel as though you’re getting agitated, angry, annoyed that a student-athlete isn’t making a 3-pointer or a 2-point shot or is winning the game, not one athlete is going to make the game win for their team. It’s usually a collaboration between team members. It’s just not impacting bets anymore. It’s impacting the mental health of students and athletes as well,” said Mahmood.
As the playoffs approach, addiction specialists urge sports betters to be aware of these risks and to gamble responsibly:
- Lying to family or friends
- Not disclosing about my losses as opposed to my wins
- Chase my losses over time
- Being preoccupied or thinking constantly about my next bet