Opponents of sports betting bills being considered in the state Legislature say funding for treatment, prevention and research is important.
St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesota's ban on sports betting hasn't stopped flashy, star-studded ads for sports betting from becoming a staple during televised sports.
And the realization that the reality may not be so appealing hasn't stopped some Minnesotans from gambling illegally on their cell phones.
“What you earn in a year can be lost overnight,” says Austin Strom, who battled with gambling disorder for years until a treatment was found. I don't think they understand it very well.” ”
Strom said that when he was young, his family typically gambled at local casinos near Moorhead, but when he went gambling there for his 18th birthday, he didn't want to leave.
“The first day I spent about 13 hours, and within the first month after my birthday I spent about 70 hours,” he said.
He says the problems and losses became more severe after he started using sports betting apps on his phone.
Strom: “I think it was just about having it at our fingertips. We didn't have to leave to do anything. Everything was right in front of us.”
Kent Erdahl: “To be clear, those apps were illegal in Minnesota at the time you were making these bets, but were you still doing them?”
Strom: “Well, there are plenty of sites where you can get it. It was no problem.”
That's why Strom now supports legalizing sports betting if it means more help and protection for problem gamblers.
“I think addiction will definitely increase,” he says. “But if they want to gamble, I feel like they have the resources to do it at this point, whether it's in an illegal way or in a legal way (in neighboring states). No matter what, they'll find a way. I think at the end of the day, the people who are doing it are educated and understand how quickly things can go wrong. It is important to check. ”
The Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling (MNAPG) is working to incorporate its education and other guardrails into sports betting bills in the House and Senate.
“From our perspective, each bill has consumer protections in it,” said Susan Sheridan Tucker, executive director of MNAPG.
According to the organization, 250,000 Minnesotans report having some kind of problem with gambling. Of these, an estimated 56,000 people are likely to be diagnosed with gambling disorder, but with fewer than 24 state-approved treatment providers, very few are diagnosed, and few receive treatment. Even less.
Sheridan Tucker said, “We only treat about 100 to 150 people a year. This is a highly stigmatized addiction. We don't talk about it at all.” Told.
A new advertising campaign about gambling addiction aims to change that by raising awareness about the free, if not plentiful, help available here in Minnesota.
While MNAPG remains neutral on the possibility of sports betting becoming legal in Minnesota, Sheridan Tucker said it is adamantly opposed to introducing guardrails around mobile betting.
“I'm very worried,” she said. “We've seen what has happened since this system was introduced in other states, such as New Jersey. Many young people have developed behavioral problems, followed by alarming suicide rates.”
She points out that if the bill passes, funding for treatment, prevention, awareness and research will be critical.
“If we're going to license the activity, we also need to support the services that are needed for a certain percentage of people to become addicted. When gamblers finally come to seek treatment, they are usually wiped out. They literally have no finances.”
Strom says he is very grateful to have found such support at Project Turnabout in Granite Falls.
Erdal: “What did you need to do to get help?”
Strom: “Honestly, I had just hit what I thought was rock bottom. I lost everything I thought was valuable. And I lost the people I cared about in my life.”
He has now gone five months without making a bet.
Erdal: “How are you today?”
Strom: “Oh, I'm doing so well. I feel like my mindset and my whole outlook on life has become much more optimistic. I'm actually hopeful about the future.”
For more information about problem gambling and helpful resources, visit the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling site. If you or a loved one is in need of medical treatment, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS) has an online list of health care providers.
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