Some Central New Yorkers might see the Super Bowl as an opportunity to place a wager using one of the mobile sports betting platforms that became legal in the state last month. But the increased opportunity to gamble could present a problem.
Anyone in New York wanting to place a bet of any kind used to have to head to a casino or off-track betting shop. The same went for anyone who had to feed a gambling addiction. Not anymore.
“Mobile sport betting compounded the problem. Now people have 24-hour-a-day access and can place an endless number of wagers at a rather quick pace.”
Elizabeth Toomey is team leader for the Central Problem Gambling Resource Center. She says most of the mobile bets on the Super Bowl will be made by new users caught up in the hype and incentives. Toomey says it’s time to get help if mobile sports betting takes priority over your family or job.
“If you feel the need to bet more and more because you feel you’re missing out on a game or missing out on that excitement. If you’re constantly thinking about betting, checking your phone and checking your wagers to see how you’re doing.”
Toomey says they’re receiving more calls at the center, and some are related to mobile sports betting. The state gaming commission says bettors placed more than $1.6 billion in wagers in just the first three weeks of January, setting a record for the amount bet on sports. Toomey says it’s a red flag.
“We need to look at that and say, our neighboring states, when they opened mobile sports betting, for instance Pennsylvania, within the first year, they saw a 285% increase in calls to their helpline.”
Toomey says the New York Council on Problem Gambling is calling on funding for a three year plan to increase public awareness and prevention, and provide more treatment and recovery options.
The local number is (315) 413-4676.
