Information on Sports Betting
Learn more about sports betting and the subsequent risks associated with the practice through these two excellent episodes by Fold 'Em Podcasts. They feature two great guest speakers who talk about their personal experiences in sports betting and how it affected them.
Episode #37: Sports Betting Got the Best of Me: Here’s What I Did About It
Rob was a fan of American football. With more free time during COVID and feeling on edge as he stopped drinking, he decided to focus on sports betting. The ads encouraged him to give it a try and there were lots of expert opinions to help develop his strategy.
Initially, he rode an exciting wave from early wins. Over time, the research, placing bets and watching games took up every waking hour. Rob found himself with a negative balance in his bank accounts, applying for loans, drinking again and avoiding contact with family and friends.
Rob was caught in a cycle: believing that if he bet smarter he would eventually win big and pay off the debt. But, when the wins came, he convinced himself to risk it all for a bigger win. Then, it would start again with planning for the next bet.
Tune in to episode 37 of the podcast, Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems. Hear Rob talk about:
why he initially didn’t see gambling as a problem, even when he was losing
what happened when his family got involved
how he solved his debt problem
what helped him to get to 10-months without a bet
what he thinks about the industry around sports betting
his suggestions for others who have had betting take over their life
Episode #45: Sports Betting: The Downside of Getting Into the Action
Joel is a successful and hard-working businessman in California. He also has been an avid (and compulsive) sports better for the past 35 years. Joel is seriously concerned about the expansion of sports gambling into live betting (gambling that occurs after the game has started) and the increase in websites and apps to place a bet. He sees all the advertisements for sports betting and the free play offers encouraging people to give it a try and he shakes his head. Joel knows from personal experience that some people will get sucked in and it will be devastating for them. He’s speaking up and sharing his story to try and stop the legalization of sports betting and protect more people from what he has gone through.
Joel is also the author of the book, Never Enough Zeros
Tune in to episode 45 to learn about:
Joel’s experiences with compulsive gambling
What makes it hard to pull away from sports betting once you’re in action
Ideas for helping you to pull away from problem gambling
Why the legalization of sports betting in many American states and the expansion of the industry is something to be concerned about