WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Millions of Americans placed bets on the Super Bowl this year. For most, it's just entertainment. But for thousands of Floridians, that bet could be the latest fix in a dangerous addiction.
According to data uncovered by Scripps News, sports betting addiction is growing in Florida, with mental health experts reporting astronomical increases in depression, anxiety and other disorders since online sports betting became legal in the state.
WATCH BELOW: Sports betting addiction surges in Florida
Joshua Graham knows the struggle firsthand. The recovering sports betting addict once loved to bet on football and basketball, thinking his athletic background gave him an edge.
"I thought I knew a lot about sports because I played sports growing up, and I thought I could predict the future," Graham said.
He couldn't predict he'd become an addict around the time Florida legalized online sports betting. Graham estimates he lost between $50,000 and $60,000 to his gambling habit.
"Of course, it's hard to stay away. It's everywhere. It's every TV ad, it's every sports channel you're watching now," Graham said.
Mental health crisis emerges
Genna Romagnuolo, a mental health counselor at North Palm Beach Recovery Center, has witnessed the devastating impact since sports betting became legal in Florida.
"We've seen astronomical depression rates, anxiety rates, other mental health disorders," Romagnuolo said.
She explains that sports betting fuels the brain's pleasure chemical dopamine. In some people, that becomes an addiction similar to drugs or alcohol, leading those hooked to throw money away recklessly.
"I've seen people steal from their children. I've seen people steal from their spouses," Romagnuolo said.
The Hard Rock Bet App is the only way to bet legally in Florida. The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates 300,000 to 400,000 adults are at risk for developing a gambling addiction. The Council says men between 18 and 35 are the group at highest risk.
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Advertising bombardment targets vulnerable groups
Danny Funt, author of "Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling," says aggressive marketing tactics are partly to blame.
"A lot of people are seduced really by the bombardment of advertising," Funt said.
The advertisements and their celebrity endorsers are effective at convincing young men to bet on sports, Funt explains. However, the Florida gambling helpline information appears for just the last 10 seconds of ads and is difficult to read.
"All celebrity-driven sports betting ads are trying to normalize betting. The implication is it's harmless and what everyone's doing," Funt said.
Hard Rock Bet responded with this statement:
"Hard Rock Bet remains steadfast in its commitment to responsible gambling. Our top-rated products provide built-in responsible gaming tools including, but not limited to, deposit, wager, and session limits and the ability to take timeouts and self-exclude. Additionally, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has provided decades of support for responsible gambling initiatives in Florida, including significant financial contributions to support the state’s gambling helpline, compulsive gambling prevention and treatment programs."
State funding falls short of growing need
Richard Pinsky of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling reveals a troubling gap in resources.
"The state of Florida currently does not fund with tax revenues any helpline referral service," Pinsky said.
The council runs the 888-Admit It around-the-clock helpline for gambling addicts with a budget of $2 million per year, funded by casinos. In the years after sports betting was legalized, funding has not increased, but calls to the helpline have more than doubled.
"It is a struggle to keep up with that. So that means callers have to wait a little bit longer to get their call answered," Pinsky said.
The depths of addiction
Graham's addiction spiraled to desperate levels, leading him to bet on unfamiliar sports in the early morning hours.
"And then it completely evolved into table tennis at 3 a.m.," Graham said. "I know nothing about table tennis. It's 3 a.m., and I've lost, you know, $1,000 on football and basketball that day, so I'm trying to recover it on table tennis."
When asked how he performed betting on table tennis, Graham replied: "Terribly."
Graham got help and treatment after reaching out to a friend following a weekend of costly gambling losses. He has been clean for more than a year, knowing the urge to bet could recur.
"I think the hardest part is it's everywhere now," Graham said.
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