Local expert warns about dangers of a sports betting addictions

TOLEDO, Ohio — Billions will be spent as Americans prepare for the Super Bowl in four days. But there's a dark side to how some will be spending their money.

About 68 million Americans will be placing their bets ahead of Sunday's game, putting $23 billion on the line, according to the American Gaming Association. 

It's a risky business by its very nature, and gambling addiction expert Steve Kapela at the Zepf Center warned that now that you can bet on your phone from the comfort of your couch, it can be more addictive and harmful than ever.

A lifetime before working at the Zepf Center as a gambling counselor, Kapela was once a gambler himself. He said his decisions nearly took him to the abyss before he saw a better path."The problem can be very deep and very hidden, and it builds on itself," Kapela said.At the time, Kapela was hooked on slots. But in the years since, he straightened out his life and his finances. He's found the people coming into the Zepf Center now are addicted to a new kind of gambling: online sports betting."I've had people who have lost $60,000 in an afternoon in my office, and then went home and sat next to the family knowing they lost the kid's college money and a big chunk of the retirement," Kapela said.

Kapela said that in the old days, you had to go to your local casino to burn your money, but now it's all at your fingertips.

Websites like DraftKings and FanDuel offer bets on just about every game imaginable, including the Super Bowl, sharing the odds for each match and showing how much money you could win if you just place a bet."They are designed by people who understand how to make it so addictive, and it's only 99 cents," Kapela said. "It's so simple. What could one dollar mean?"

But that's the trick that so often gets people hooked, and Kapela said the rise of these apps has coincided with some alarming statistics. 

In 2012, the state of Ohio did a study that found that 5.7% of Ohioans who gamble might meet the criteria for gambling addiction.

By 2017, that number had nearly doubled to 10.3%. Then in 2022, it doubled again. Now almost 20% of Ohioans who gamble might meet the criteria for gambling addiction.So if you're feeling like putting some money on the game on Sunday, Kapela said to watch out for these signs as you place your bets.

"I think if you're borrowing to gamble, if you're putting bets on credit cards, if you're using funds that aren't discretionary money, those are some of the signs of a gambling problem," said Kapela.

Kapela said there's an old saying in Alcoholics Anonymous that applies perfectly to gambling: if you think you might have a problem, you do.

If you've already been struggling with those kinds of thoughts, seek the help of organizations like the Zepf Center, or call the gambling addiction hotline at 1-800-662-4357.