You do not need to be an enthusiastic sports fan or a fanatic bettor to know that sports betting is expanding.

Super Bowl LIX, or "Super Bowl 59" for those people who do not speak Latin, is expected to shatter the previous record for money bet on a single live sporting event in the United States: in 2015 Bowl. The video game drove $1.3 billion in U.S.-based betting alone, as 68 million Americans took a gamble on the Taylor Swift-ified phenomenon that ended in triumph for Chiefs Kingdom. This year's tilt - a rematch of the 2023 Super Bowl in between Kansas City and the Philadelphia Eagles - is predicted to draw more than $1.5 billion in legal wagers throughout the country.

If you or someone you care about is participating in problematic betting, you can get help by calling the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER, or going to problemgamblingcoalitioncolorado.org (for resources in Colorado) or gamblersanonymous.org (for support throughout the U.S. and worldwide).

The proliferation and appeal of mobile sports betting applications (apps) has actually sustained a sports-betting rise. Apps have actually developed tremendously higher access to sports wagering for everybody from casual bettors to compulsive gamblers, who can place bets anywhere, anytime, with just a click on their mobile gadgets.

Upping the ante is the smooth integration of mobile betting with major sports leagues and media protection, which bombards audiences with updates on ever-shifting odds and support to "participate the action," blurring the line between the game and video gaming.

Healthy Gambling Guidelines

- Set limits and stick to them.

- Never gamble more than you can afford to lose.

- Don't chase your losses.

- Seek help if you need it. 1-800-GAMBLER

At the very same time, mobile sports betting menus - the kinds of wagers offered to gamblers - have broadened significantly. Traditional sports bets (positioned before the start of a video game, and usually connected to the result of the event) are provided together with "live wagering" (likewise referred to as "in-game" or "in-play" betting), in which odds and wagering options unfold throughout live-game play, and "microbetting," a more granular, instant-gratification form of gambling that focuses on specific occasions or minutes in a video game, like the outcome of the next play, point or belongings.

This trifecta of increased access, relentless chances to chase one's losses (or payouts) and pervasive marketing have drawn countless Americans to online sports betting, increasing the odds that more individuals will develop unhealthy relationships with gaming.

With a lot on the line, we turned to Emily Hemendinger, MPH, LCSW, an assistant teacher in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who concentrates on treating patients with obsessive-compulsive characteristics and has a background in treating addictions. In the following Q&A, Hemendinger offers insight into the source and indications of problem betting (likewise called compulsive betting or gambling dependency), and how to assist yourself or someone who is having problem with a gaming condition.