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- North Carolina has recorded its 12th consecutive month of exceeding $500 million in sports betting handle, but addiction counselors and treatment advocates are warning that the state’s rapid market growth is fueling a surge in problem gambling inquiries, particularly among adults aged 18 to 24.
- As counselors report more severe cases among young bettors, including rising rates of suicidal ideation, industry advocates are arguing that the state’s mandated $2 million annual allocation from digital sports betting taxes is no longer enough to adequately fund gambling addiction education and treatment programs.
North Carolina has recorded a 12th consecutive month with more than $500 million wagered on sports bets, even as counselors and addiction advocates warn that betting-related harm is becoming more visible, especially among younger adults.
The latest figures underscore how quickly the state’s legal sports betting market has grown. But the Spectrum News report also highlights a parallel trend: treatment providers say more of their recent client inquiries are tied to sports betting, and advocates argue the state’s current funding response is too small for a growing problem—spurring calls for robust responsible gaming measures and increased institutional safeguards..
Counselors say sports betting is driving more treatment inquiries
Dr. Jessica Auslander, a counselor who works with gambling-related cases, told Spectrum News that sports betting has become a major driver of new client outreach.
> “The last year or so, most of my new client inquiries have been related to sports betting,” Auslander said.
Auslander said the most common recent client profile has been an “emerging adult” between ages 18 and 24. She said warning signs can include being unable to stop betting, spending large amounts of time researching wagers, irritability, and withdrawing from others.
She also described more severe cases.
> “I’m seeing higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, people being referred out of crisis hospitalization to me,” Auslander said.
The report also cited interviews with N.C. State students who said sports betting is common on campus. One student, Eliza Hill, said she occasionally uses the Fliff app’s free daily dollar on a Carolina Hurricanes game. Another student, Abram Strickler, said that kind of product can normalize betting habits before users reach 21 and move to other apps.
State funding and survey results point to pressure for stronger guardrails
By law, the N.C. General Assembly directs $2 million annually from digital sports betting tax proceeds to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs.
But Morgan Coyner, executive vice president of the Addiction Professionals of North Carolina, said that amount is not enough to meet demand as the market expands.
Spectrum News also reported that a survey conducted with help from Meredith College found broad support for stronger policy responses. According to the survey, three-quarters of respondents support using mobile sports betting tax revenue to fund problem-gambling research, and 67% said they would support legislation banning prediction markets.
Those findings suggest that in North Carolina, the policy conversation is moving beyond betting volume alone. What to watch next is whether lawmakers revisit how sports betting tax revenue is spent and whether survey-backed proposals, including additional guardrails, turn into legislation.
Source: As reported by Patrick Thomas.
