MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The football playoffs between professional and college teams are officially upon us.
Thousands of people are emotionally and financially invested in the team’s success.
That’s because states in the Mid-South have legalized sports betting.
“I feel like I’m always chasing something,” laughed Cody Halstead, an avid Cowboys fan and sports bettor from East Memphis.
Halstead told FOX13 that sports betting has given her a new appreciation for sports and even a reason to watch a women’s tennis match in France.
Asked if it had been a roller coaster, he replied, “In the truest sense of the word. We’re talking about the biggest hits, but there were a lot of misses.”
John Brand has also been through ups and downs.
“There are certainly highs,” Brand told FOX13. “Two years ago, I bought a dog on a Vols money line that I bet on the Alabama game.”
However, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, an estimated 2.5 million adults nationwide currently suffer from serious gambling problems.
“It increases the risk because you have so much ready access[to gambling],” explained Gambling Clinic Executive Director James Whelan.
He told FOX13 that unexpected notifications on a cell phone could prompt users to spend money.
“Regardless of whether you have a problem or not, people are more likely to want to make another bet,” he explained.
“It’s not for everyone,” Halstead acknowledged. “I know a lot of people who have never gambled before, but are losing money by playing sports betting.”
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