LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — At least one-fifth of college students tap into their financial aid funds for betting, according to Nevada Council on Problem Gambling statistics.
The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is the largest betting event in the country, experts say. 38 states and Washington D.C. allow some form of legal sports betting, and as it becomes more prevalent in the US, so too have calls to gambling-addiction hotlines.
“I’ve been addicted to sports gambling since 2017,” said Saul Malek, a recovering sports betting addict. He is not alone, said Ted Hartwell, Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.
“About two-thirds of college students who live on campus are actually betting on sports now, and most of them are not of legal age to do so,” said Hartwell.
Experts say that as many as 20 percent of students use their financial aid on betting, using the money allocated to their education for gambling.
Malek was a sophomore in college in Texas when he started sports betting. “Within the first five to six months, there was a point where I recognized I felt uneasy when I wasn’t gambling,” he said.
After coming to terms with his addiction during a breakup with his girlfriend, he said he knew it was time to get help. Malek has not bet since 2019, he said, reiterating his mission to help others avoid his mistakes.
Calls to one sports betting addiction hotline have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a few key factors playing in. Hartwell said easier access to sports betting on smartphones and major league sports teams coming to the Las Vegas valley both play their part in the increase.
Hartwell said sports betting addiction is the type of gambling where they see the most self-reported problematic behavior. He says it’s on the rise not just in southern Nevada but throughout the country as well.
“There’s this effect of people thinking, ‘Well, if I gamble more eventually, I am going to win,’ and the opposite is actually true,” said Hartwell.
For many like Malek, recovery is a continuous journey, and he is giving his time to students through speaking engagements about the dangers of sports betting addiction.
“You should always expect to lose your money when you gamble,” Hartwell said. “So that should always be disposable income.”
Only about 25 percent of colleges and universities have policies in place regarding gambling, explained Hartwell. The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling would like to see questions added to health forms regarding gambling habits in an effort to discover problem gambling earlier.
Anyone who needs help or knows someone who might need help with gambling addiction, more information is available on the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling website or via phone at (800) GAMBLER, via text at 800-GAM, or online chat at 1800GAMBLERCHAT.org