March Madness and gambling responsibly
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- ABC57 spoke with Joe Maloney, President of the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents five of the largest legal and regulated online sports book operators.
As far as a 'betting moment,' Maloney says March Madness is in the top three nationally on the United States sports calendar. That’s alongside the Super Bowl/NFL playoffs time period in January and early February, as well as the start of the NFL and college football season. He says the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments are the one spot on the sports calendar that is not occupied by Football, as far as those larger 'betting moments'.
“That's why it's an important time to be discussing the importance of betting legally and betting responsibly, because during these sort of big, sort of sports and cultural moments, you do tend to see more casual bettors, folks deciding to try this for the first time. They're part of social atmospheres, going to parties, to watch games, and might decide to get in on the action, and that's why it's critical that we take the opportunity to describe where and how it's legal and what that means when it comes to deciding to engage in this product for the first time or on an infrequent basis, to remind bettors of the importance of gambling responsibly,” said Maloney.
He says even joining a bracket is considered gambling.
“The definition of gambling is when you take a risky action and expecting a reward. And also it is a game of chance. So when you fill out a bracket, and you decide to put money down in the hopes of winning something at the end of the NCAA men's or women's tournament, that is technically a form of gambling,” said Maloney.
You can visit the Gaming Commission website in Indiana to find out what is legal in the state as far as gambling and apps.
He says legalization of sports betting is actually creating a greater awareness of resources and surrounding residents with consumer protection.
“One of the things that you see in jurisdictions that become newly legalized is an uptick in call volume to gambling helplines. That's directly related to the amount of advertising that typically legalized jurisdictions see at the beginning of legalization. The reason why companies that I represent advertise is, first of all, we have this opportunity to migrate bettors out of illegal and unregulated settings. When the state of Indiana and its peers across the country decided to legalize this activity, it was an acknowledgement that Americans, residents of their state, had been betting on sports for a very, very long time,” said Maloney.
When it comes to problem gambling, Maloney gave some examples of signs to look out for. For example, if someone is frequently talking about their betting patterns and they may appear to be too focused on it.
“More, you know, overt or extroverted signs of distress with respect to problem gambling is obviously when people seem to be what's called chasing their losses or communicating, you know, some of the sort of common myths when it comes to gambling, or even sports wagering, which it means, if I bet more, eventually I'll win it back. That's certainly not the case. There's no empirical formula that could prove that. Or, you know, I can just bet more, I can bet again, or I'm due for a lucky one, or I'm due to win, whether that's a table game in a retail casino, or whether that's betting on an event, you know, such as a sporting contest or an athlete's individual performance. That's certainly not the case,” said Maloney.
He says this addiction can also be hidden, potentially someone communicating less or withdrawing from social experiences.
Maloney says it’s important–like with other health disorders–to be communicative and check on people you care about.
“The biggest thing that sports betting companies, legal and regulated sports wagering companies, do is promote responsibility and promote responsible gaming. Responsible gaming is when a gambling activity is associated with entertainment and for fun and does not cause any stress or anxiety in one's daily life,” said Maloney. “So that's super important, and one of the ways in which online, legal and regulated operators provide for Responsible gaming is by providing toolkits and resources that all bettors can use to help govern their play and promote positive activities. Examples of that include wagering limits, deposit limits, time on App limits. These are tools for every bettor, not just those whose gambling activity might become problematic or disordered.”
NATIONAL GAMBLING HOTLINES:
- 1-800-MY-RESET
- 1-800-GAMBLER
INDIANA:
MICHIGAN:
NCPG RESOURCES: