Americans will bet $ 3 billion in March this year. Since the Supreme Court ruling in 2018, 38 states have legalized gambling. Experts say that we have begun to understand the meaning of this change in the legal gambling of people’s mental health, and warn that the risk was not well understood.
Mary Louise Kelly, host:
Gambling is easy to see at any time. And with the opening of the NCAA basketball tournament, experts warn that the risk of gambling addiction is not widely understood. NPR’s Katia Ridle Report.
Katia RidDle, Byline: In recent years, the online gambling platform has spread.
Jen: Money is not a real money by phone. Not type. And you do not see that you just gambled like this real money.
Mystery: This woman used our name Jen for this story. She has been in debt of more than $ 100,000 after she has been struggling for many years due to gambling. She is recovering now and is afraid of professional reputation. She feels like a video game with an online platform that facilitates sports and other bets. They got the casino 24 hours a day with your house.
Jen: And I could get up in the middle of the night and gamble or do it in bed. Likewise, it is too easy.
Mystery: JEN also had a hard time with the use of materials. She says the main difference between her and gambling is that gambling is worse.
Jen: The impulse does not come anywhere, and the distance between you and action is too minimal. I don’t have to call a shaded dealer, and I ask him to convey something. There is no need to eat anything. Likewise, it is just the same problem as actually picking up my phone.
Mystery: The entire gambling industry in the US has changed radically in 2018. The Supreme Court then regulated this. Now there are legal gambling in 38 states. The industry reports more than $ 7 billion in annual profits. Experts say that addiction studies have not made this change. Michelle Malkin is a gambling research and policy initiative director of East Carolina University.
Michelle Malkin: When the prevalence rate in 1999 was actually accepted in 1999, it is not close to what happens in the United States or the world today.
Mystery: This study has fixed the number of gamblers to less than 1%. Malkin is trying to update this figure. She thinks it is quite high.
Malkin: The medical community now has a study that affects people such as gambling, such as putting materials in the body.
RidDle: Neuroscience shows that gambling causes the same path as the addictive substance does and provides the same kind of dopamine hit. Les Bernal operates an advocate group called Stop predatory gambling.
Les Bernal: Business model is based on addiction.
RidDle: Bernal pointed out the survey of the Wall Street Journal, showing 70% of the profits of an online gambling company from less than 1% of the user. He said he set a unique conflict with the Lord who has a partner relationship with the industry.
Bernal: They are business practices that can make all the money for the Lord. Similarly, there is no profit without addicted gamblers.
Mystery: Representatives in the industry point out that the state has made money from gambling income for treatment and intervention. Joe Maloney is with American Gaming Association.
Joe Maloney: $ 1.4 million is a problem gambling service, prevention and treatment.
Mystery: He says that gamblers can turn into illegal gambling. Legally maintaining a method of supporting treatment funds.
Maloney: Let’s generate profits that can return to the city and community and the main priorities that we think are important.
Mystery: There are also guard rails used by the company as if they were forced brakes or people to cut people after too much time. Jen, a woman with more than $ 100,000 debt, said that there was no difference for her. She is still trying to regain her life.
Jen: The last recurrence was in December after less than three months.
Mystery: She says that modern life is almost impossible, but there is a danger there.
Jen: I don’t believe in myself.
Mystery: Her addiction says that he doesn’t trust herself, you can only eat a few tabs on the phone. Katia RidDle, NPR news.
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