Calls For Gambling Ban Grow in US
The growth of legal sports betting in the United States raises serious concerns about an increase in gambling addiction, especially among young people. Consultants and doctors are warning of a potential gambling addiction crisis, leading to calls for tighter regulation.
Treatment centers are facing a wave of patients in their teens and 20s who need help with gambling problems. Helplines are also reporting record numbers of calls recently.
Ironically, New Jersey was one of the pioneers in legalizing sports betting. In 2018, the state successfully overturned a federal law that prohibited states from legalizing sports betting and, as a result, led the push to legalize it. However, the number of calls through the hotline in New Jersey doubled in subsequent years as the market for legal services in this area expanded.
Gambling addiction in the US is getting younger
It has never been easier to place a bet in the United States. Access was previously limited to casinos and racetracks, but now, millions of Americans can access legal gambling without visiting a gambling establishment, thanks to the availability of smartphones. According to topcadcasinos.net, many online casinos also give players free money, which reduces vigilance and forces players to register. This is a new reality, and as Brad Ruderman of the Beit T’Shuvah Treatment Center in Los Angeles, California, noted, “This is the first generation that considers the current situation normal.”
However, there is an age limit for gambling in most US states: you must be 21 years old for sports betting and 18 years old for participating in fantasy contests. Despite this, underage activity is a growing concern. Keith White, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, asked a group of 40 17-year-old boys in Virginia earlier this year how many of them used a sports betting app on their phones. The result was impressive: the answer to the question was 36 raised hands.
Minors who engage in gambling before their brains are fully formed may not understand the risks associated with gambling addiction. Thus, this becomes one of the causes of concern in the society.
The state is asked to take action
Concern over the level of problem gambling and the age of those affected is raising questions about the adequacy of regulation of legal sports betting platforms. This situation requires attention from the states. Every week, special agencies receive dozens of calls, mostly from concerned relatives. If nothing changes, then in a few years, gambling may overtake the level of addiction to alcohol and drugs.
In the United States, it is worth introducing restrictions on gambling advertising, as well as placing warning notices on gaming platforms. This will help raise awareness of the social consequences of gambling and reduce the possibility of pathological gambling among young people.
What steps is the government taking?
Problems associated with gambling have become so serious that US states have begun to actively seek solutions. For example, Time Out Ohio, a program that offers problem gamers the ability to limit their gaming, recently partnered with Gamban, a UK app that blocks gambling sites that allow online betting or roulette. Ohio was the first state to offer the app free of charge. “If we as a state expect to benefit from expanding gaming and taxing the industry,” a program spokesman said, “it is important to ensure that we do so in the safest manner possible for the citizens we serve.”