New York Legalized Online Sports Betting and It’s Paying Off – But at What Cost?

You’ve seen the ad. A comedian dressed like Caesar riles up his followers about the latest online sports betting promotion, and the crowd goes wild. On the radio, we hear the ads for these new sites to play lotto, the scratch-offs, the Powerball, then the speedy-fast disclaimer reminding listeners to “gamble responsibly.”  How popular are these new online gambling sites? Well, consider that the amount of money spent in just two months, when online sports betting world became legal, has broken national state records. The amount?  A staggering $2 billion. “That’s billion with a B?” I asked Ashley Owen, LMSW, and a team leader from the New York Council on Problem Gambling organization (NYCPG). “Billion,” she confirmed, adding, “that’s just in the first two months since New York became the 18th state to legalize online sports gambling. That amount of money has far exceeded anything we expected.”

That’s not to say the organization, whose mission is to increase public awareness about gambling and advocating for support services and treatment, was unprepared. “We had been following the state legislation on this issue for several years,” Owen shares, knowing that this day would come. The organization has already began increasing their presence in school and in the community with programs like You(th) Decide NY which works to decrease the exposure to gambling advertising in the community, and Talk2Kids which includes ways to start the conversation with children and teenagers. Statistics show that almost 40 percent of kids between 12 and 17 have gambled, with some stating they’d been gambling since they were ten or younger.* The NYCPG joins the National Council on Problem Gambling in designating  March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month to coincide with the NCAA basketball tournament, aka March madness, which sees the heaviest betting: in 2021 alone over $8 billion dollars was wagered. “Having access to gambling 24 hours a day,” says Owen, “and being able to place endless bets can compound an existing problem or create a new one. (The site provides a “self-screening tool” to help people decide if they’re ready to reach out for help for themselves or a loved one.) 

“We’re not against gambling at all, or trying to stop it,” Owen says, explaining the organization’s neutral stance on the activity. “We do want those who take part in gambling to do so responsibly.  It’s a disease, on the same level as drug addiction…the money to gamble is the drug, and the risk being taken is the high.”  And with the same level of pleasure and euphoria since the “feel good” chemical – dopamine – is produced in the brain. Since the addiction has a diagnostic code, there’s potential for health insurances to cover treatment, encouraging more people to seek help. To that end, the NYCPG has been increasing its training of clinicians and therapists in providing them with the tools to help their clients. “This is helpful for those who prefer a more private counselling, or if local support groups are difficult to get to,” says Owen, a social worker herself, who was drawn to work for the organization because of its clinical view of the gambling issue. 

It’s interesting to note that most of NYCPG’s funding comes from the companies that run casinos. “For every card table, or slot machine in the place,” says Owen, the organizations are required to allocate a small percentage of their profits to gambling support and outreach. Currently, nothing similar is in place for online gambling sites, but the NYCPG is advocating with the State to come up with legislation for these online sites to devote their own share of the profits. Even though it’s still illegal for anyone under 21 to gamble, these online gambling sites are targeting the 18 to 25 age population. And because these sites are still so new, it’s not been determined how they filter out any underage clients, which makes it even more important that parents be vigilant and have that conversation with their kids and teens. As of now, Owen has no data to determine if underage users are on these sites, but the fear exists that the ease of online gambling can become a gateway to more increased and riskier gaming.

For resources on gambling-related problems, visit nyproblemgambling.org. The site offers tips and short videos on how to start the conversation with your kids, as well as an interactive NYS map providing specific gambling support locations.  

*New York State’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports, 2015

Top photo: Bigstock

Poster courtesy of the New York Council on Problem Gambling

About MJ Hanley-Goff (168 Articles)
MJ Hanley-Goff has been contributing to Woman Around Town since its inception in 2009. She began her career at Newsday in the early 90’s and has continued writing professionally for other New York publications like the Times Herald-Record, Orange Magazine, and Hudson Valley magazine. Former editor of Hudson Valley Parent magazine, she also contributed stories to AAA’s Car & Travel, and Tri-County Woman. After completing her novel and a self-help book, she created MJWRITES, INC. to offer writing workshops and book coaching to first time authors, and also college essay writing help to students. MJ has recently made St. Augustine, Florida her home base, and is thrilled and honored to continue to write for WAT and the amazing adventures it offers. Despite the new zip code, MJ will continue to keep a pulse on New York events, but will continue to focus on the creative thinkers, doers, and artists wherever they are.