Kansas recently legalized sports betting. That will generate new revenue but could increase problem gambling in the state.
And for many sports fans, the days of the once-a-year Super Bowl wager and NCAA office pool are gone. In much of the country, betting on sports is now as easy as tapping an app on your phone.
"Making gambling much more accessible to those younger generations puts them at higher risk," says Jaime Costello, director of programs for the National Council on Problem Gambling. "There were a lot of introductory ways that we're getting them interested," she says, citing fantasy sports as an example.
"So even on those edges, where it's not necessarily they might not be putting money in so it might not technically be gambling, they're still getting introduced to the concept and that just increases their risk later on," she explains.
Her company is neither for or against gambling, Costello clarifies. However, she says, as access to gambling increases, so should access to care for people who are struggling.
- Jaime Costello, director of programs for the National Council on Problem Gambling
The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700).
