As sports betting breaks record, Las Vegas nonprofit offers help for gambling issues

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Las Vegas' first Super Bowl led state sportsbooks to see a record-breaking $185.6 million wagered on the championship game.

For some people, the can lead to the need for help if they struggle with a gambling issue.

"It's not unusual to see a genuine ramping up of calls (to the Problem Gambling Helpline) during this time of year, during the NFL playoffs, which then transitions almost immediately into March Madness, so another round of betting on basketball," said Ted Hartwell, the executive director for the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

Sports betting online continues to thrive especially after it was allowed to be legalized nationwide in 2018.

Today, 39 states allow some form of sports betting.

"Many of the kids in college who are not yet of legal age to wager on sports or who may live in jurisdictions where it has not yet been legalized are engaging in gambling on sports, that should be of concern to all of us, including the industry," Hartwell said.

He explained that before the pandemic, the nonprofit's helpline saw 3-4% of its calls related to sports betting, but that number has since doubled.

"Now it's up to 7-8 %, apart of that is increased awareness because of TV advertising, but at least part of that is also because we have all of a sudden become a location where we have these top tier fantastic sports teams, and so there is more of that personal engagement and fandom that wasn't here before, I think you see a lot more locals probably betting on sports that did in the past," he said.

Hartwell said the exact number of calls the helpline received leading up to the big game will be released next month.

If you or someone you know needs help with a gambling problem, several resources are available and are all free of charge, including the organization's helpline.

You can reach the by calling 1-800-GAMBLER or texting 800-GAM.