One more win to recoup their losses, one more win so they can quit for good, one more win to ride that thrill of feeling like they beat the odds. We know pathological gamblers rationalize their behavior by saying they just need one more win. This potentially corrosive influence infiltrates the thinking of the person placing the bet. ThatвЂ™s also the same group of people who are most likely to be hard-core sports fans. Remember that one of the groups at highest risk of becoming pathological gamblers are young men 18-25. As the statewide survey and my experience working with gamblers and their families prove, when gambling becomes even more legal, ubiquitous and socially acceptable, more people fall prey to this brain disorder.ДЇurther, thereвЂ™s little in our culture that excites more passion, devotion and excitement than sports.В When winning could mean both pride and a pot of money, the allure will become even more irresistible to some. What will be done to prevent bribing players and coaches to intentionally вЂthrowвЂ™ a game?вЂќ he asks.Дerek is right to point out some realities that should be openly confronted. What sports will be covered вЂ“ professional, college, high school? вЂњItвЂ™s not just how widespread but also how vulnerable those athletes are to undue influence.Because we know this will lead to greater demand for prevention, education and treatment, can Ohio mandate that resources be set aside to pay for these services, similar to the 2% profit assessed casinos and racinos? Derek notes that gamblers and their families are just beginning to have adequate treatment options across Ohio.

How will we ensure that youth under the age of 18 donвЂ™t gamble illegally? вЂњItвЂ™s easier to restrict access when someone has to travel to a site to bet rather than just reach into their pocket for their smart phone,вЂњ Derek said.вЂњProximity leads to greater abuse,вЂќ he notes. Ohioans experienced a 100% increase in gambling addiction (from 5- 10%) from 2012-2017 according to surveys conducted by Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. Who can offer sports betting вЂ“ just casinos and racinos or will it be open to sports bars, Veterans of Foreign Wars posts or anyone with a website? Derek says itвЂ™s clear that the greater the access, the more people likely to fall prey to pathological gambling.In fact, SB 316, introduced this month, may accomplish this, but for now the bill states only вЂњIt is the intent of the General Assembly to develop and enact legislation legalizing sports wagering.вЂќДЄnd still other news outlets report that both gubernatorial candidates will ante up with their support.ДЄccording to experts like Derek Longmeier of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO), many critical questions must be thoroughly debated before legalizing sports betting: Other articles quote members of the Ohio General Assembly who insist the House and Senate should craft and pass legislation without the need for a statewide referendum. News coverage indicates that some proponents of sport betting are already sharpening their pencils to collect the 360,000 signatures needed to put the question on a statewide ballot, imitating the approach taken when Ohio voters approved casinos in 2009. Supreme Court struck down the federal law against sports betting and delegated regulation of this to the states, the odds of Ohio enacting legislation to permit sports betting look more than favorable. They also wonвЂ™t need to truck to Iowa or even ride the Internet to sites like Fan Duel. If Marx were alive today, IвЂ™m guessing he would happily bet his life, or at least his livelihood, that sometime in the very near future, Ohioans wonвЂ™t need to fly to Vegas to legally place a sports wager. Marx retorts that not pursuing this young lady вЂњis like saying you will leave Las Vegas for Cedar Rapids, Iowa to play bingo in the church bazaar.вЂќ In one episode, Marx teases a young man about why he wonвЂ™t drop his long-distance girlfriend for the attractive young woman standing next to him on the show. Back in the 1950s, comedian Groucho Marx headlined an entertaining early version of a game show known asВ You Bet Your Life.

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