March Madness boosts sports betting, raising worries about problem gambling

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Tuesday, March 18th will mark the beginning of March Madness, bringing millions of basketball fans together to fill out team brackets and guess the tournament winners.

On average, 56.3 million Americans fill out brackets each year, and that number continues to grow since sports gambling has become legal in many states.

“I think, especially after sports betting became legalized, we definitely have seen an increase in popularity. A lot of times when anything becomes accessible and it’s socially acceptable, we definitely see the growth and expansion,” said Anita Pindiur, executive director of Way Back Inn, which serves individuals seeking recovery from gambling addiction.

Pindiur said the growth has led to March also being recognized as National Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

“It was the National Council on Problem Gambling [that] kind of took a look at it and said, ‘you know, I think we need to have something on the other side.’ Right? We need to give people resources. We need to give them help. We need to give them an ability to step back if they need to step back,” she said.

Even though sports gambling can be entertaining, Pindiur said moderation is important.

“That’s going to be very individualized. What’s excessive to me might be different, but the things that we want to look at is, what other parts of your life are being neglected. This should be fun. This should be entertainment. And when that doesn’t feel like entertainment, then it’s excessive,” she added.