As soon as those March Madness brackets dropped on Selection Sunday, people were hitting the sports books and online betting sites to place their bets.
The American Gaming Association says American’s are expected to bet more than $2.7 billion dollars on this year’s men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, roughly twice what was bet on this year’s Super Bowl.
“But there is a smaller demographic of the Michigan public, and of the public nationally, where gambling behavior can transition to something a bit more than just recreation. And there are a number of things that we attribute to being what we call risk factors, some of which being if you’ve grown up with gambling being a normal activity in the home, if you’re one that plays athletic sports, that gives you a predisposition to a higher risk or proponent of engaging in gambling activities,” said Alia Lucas, Gambling Disorder Specialist with MDHHS.
And there’s a lot to bet on, from which player will sink the first bucket, to whether or not the game will go into overtime or feature a buzzer beater. That’s why experts say setting limits is key.
“It’s very important if you do take part in sports betting, especially because it’s become so popular, especially in Michigan, if you need to have the talk with somebody just politely ask them if they know how to set their limits, politely ask them if they know, never bet more than you could afford to lose and just see if they understand or know any of the risks that sports betting could lead to,” said Grace Richardson, Public Health Educator with DHD #10,
Going beyond those limits could be a sign it’s time to get help.
“You have to allow yourself a certain amount of time that you’re going to gamble a certain dollar amount that you’re going to gamble and not exceed those limits,” said Lucas.
For a list of resources that can help, click here.
