Superbowl weekend is over for the players, but gamblers are just starting to pay their debts.
Lisa Vig is Gambling Disorder Clinical Lead for North Dakota HHS. She says sports betting addiction is becoming a bigger problem for younger people around ages 22 to 30 in the state.
"For many people gambling is social, it's recreational, it enhances an evening out with friends or family members, particularly if people are interested in sports. I think that's kind of where some of the intrigue comes with sports betting."
Vig is seeing more and more of these young sports betters coming to her with gambling addiction. Vig says there are opportunities for gambling wherever you go, but now gambling is also accessible to people right from their phones.
"Mobile sports betting, playing social casino type games on your phone, slot machines, poker, blackjack, all of those things can be found on our phone and, again, it's the accessibility. It's there for you in the middle of the night, it's there for you first thing when you wake up, it's there for you when you're at an event waiting for something to happen. It's just that accessibility is a huge concern when it becomes so available to everyone that it's easy to begin participating."
Vig says HHS offers a range of services for gambling issues, includes an online recovery course, counseling for groups, individuals, couples, and families, and online resources and educational groups.