Basketball fans from coast to coast are getting ready to place bets and fill out their March Madness brackets, but we’re honoring another event during March – Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Last year alone, over $15 million was spent on sports betting during the NCAA tournament, and experts from the American Gaming Association expect that number to grow in 2024. While many individuals only gamble in moderation, Yale Medicine estimates that about 1% of the population is affected by problem gambling disorder.

Warning Signs

This Problem Gambling Awareness Month, take your habits and the habits of loved ones into consideration in order to find help and treatment services. If you or a loved one may be at risk of problem gambling, Your Life Iowa has put together a list of warning signs to look out for:

• Constantly thinking about gambling or sports betting (reliving past experiences, planning the next trip, thinking about ways to get money to gamble, etc.)
• Being secretive or defensive about gambling habits when confronted
• Lying to others about the extent of gambling
• Increasing bet amounts to achieve the desired “high” or feeling of excitement
• Trying unsuccessfully to control, cut back, or stop gambling
• Feelings of restlessness or irritability when not gambling
• Gambling to escape problems
• Chasing losses with more gambling
• Committing crimes to finance gambling
• Jeopardizing or losing relationships, jobs, education, or career opportunities because of gambling
• Relying on others to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

How to Participate

If you’re looking for ways to participate in Problem Gambling Awareness Month this March, consider posting facts about problem gambling on social media to spread the word. You can also visit yourlifeiowa.com/gambling to take the free Gambling Screening.

Here at the Center for Alcohol and Drug Services, we offer prevention and treatment programs for you or any loved ones who may be at risk of addiction. Click here to contact CADS, or take the free online Drug and Alcohol Abuse Screening here. Together, we can all fight to beat addiction.

Read more from CADS:

1. The Consequences of Sports Betting on College Campuses

2. How the Stigma Surrounding Drug Use Hinders Treatment

3. The Dangers of Drinking Alcohol in Cold Temperatures