YOUNG MEN AT HIGH RISK FOR GAMBLING ADDICTION

 SPORTS BETTING SKYROCKETS!

The recent rollout of legalized sports betting across 36 states has surged the gambling industry — but experts say it’s coming at the cost of mental health in young men.

In particular, easy access to online betting, most popular with sportsbooks — which often incentivize new customers with credits and first-bet loss forgiveness as a lure — has a grasp on the Gen Z crowd.

A 2023 prevalence report of gambling in New Jersey from Rutgers University found that a third of bettors 18 to 24 exclusively wagered online rather than being inside a casino or in-person facility.

That statistic is five times higher than a prior 2017 report for the school and more than any other age group.

“You can be gambling away your house on your mobile phone sitting at the dinner table, and not a single person will know until the devastation of your whole family is complete,” Lia Nower, director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University School of Social Work, recently told Newsweek.

Younger men aged 18 to 44 were also “most likely to be high-risk problem gamblers,” according to the report, which noted that 19% of the 18 to 24 group were at a high risk for problem gambling.

Players aged 18 to 20 years old “are significantly more likely” to chase their losses and bet beyond their affordability, according to Responsiblegambling.org.

The College Football Playoff games between the Universities of Michigan and Alabama in the Rose Bowl and the Universities of Texas and Washington in the Sugar were expected to set a sports gambling record, the Associated Press reported.

How To Stop Gambling: 6 Helpful Tips From Experts: Visit How To Stop Gambling: 6 Helpful Tips From Experts – Forbes Health

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem get help at the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. For additional access to free, online, confidential resources, you can visit the National Center for Responsible Gaming.

Story contribution by: Alex Mitchell – NY Post