Gambling addiction experts report increase in young New Yorkers seeking help

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — With football season now in full swing, problem gambling experts are sounding the alarm about the dangers associated with sports betting, especially among younger New Yorkers.

College students, many of whom who have never been predisposed to gambling, are finding themselves in the throes of what can be a very devastating addiction that can upend lives.

Often times, problem gamblers, especially younger people who’ve never really gambled before, don’t even know it’s a problem until they find themselves in full-fledged addiction. Additionally, there are many people who don’t even associate gambling with addiction, but for some, the two go hand-in-hand.

With the ease of just picking up a phone, someone could lose everything — that’s the message from gambling addiction experts to young gamblers who have an itch for sports betting.

There are a number of warning signs to watch out for when it comes to identifying if you have a problem, and it’s younger people who officials said are often times the most at risk for developing gambling addiction when it comes to online sports betting.

“Asking for money, asking to borrow money, stealing, hiding the losses” are some of the signs to watch out for, according to Dr. Donald Nowak, an associated adjunct professor at the University at Buffalo who specializes in compulsive gambling and addiction.

As the issue progresses and gets worse, Nowak said the results can be absolutely devastating.

“It can be very aggravating. They can be acting out, taking it out on other people,” Nowak said. “When it really gets to the real, furthest progression of this disorder, [it] leads to depression, hopelessness and ultimately, suicidality.”

When taking into consideration that a lot of people dissociate addiction with gambling, it can be longer before those affected gamblers realize it’s actually a problem. As a result, in some cases, the addiction issues progress to a dangerous point prior to a person reaching out for help, and this is especially true when it comes to youth gambling.

“The main situation is the disruption of young lives, the effect on relationships, both with parents and with significant others,” said Steve Block, a credentialed problem gambling counselor with New York’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS).

It’s the ease of access and the time younger people spend on their phones that experts say contributes to the addiction issues.

“You don’t even have to leave your bedroom. You can gamble in your pajamas, and that’s affecting, particularly the younger people, mostly male, but there are females that are affected,” Block said. “You have vocational problems, you have in some cases legal problems, and in some cases, you certainly have emotional and psychological difficulty with the addiction.”

In 2024, New Yorkers lost over $2 billion in online sports wagering, according to OASAS.

“Any time we see an increase in the accessibility of gambling activities we also expect to see an increase in people who are experiencing hambling harms and reach out for help,” explained Jeffrey Wierzbicki, WNY team leader with the New York Council on Problem Gambling. “New York State is experiencing an unprecedented increase in sports betting access on mobile devices over the past couple of years.”

Wierzbicki, who provides gambling resource outreach awareness on local college campuses, provided WIVB News 4 with data showing students and young people aged 18-24 are at high risk for experiencing gambling harms.

While the increase in people seeking help for sports-betting-related problem gambling has been mostly younger people, most people today have smart phones and experts say they see it all the way from teenagers to people in their 80s.

There is help available across Western New York that is curated specifically for gambling addiction, even down to the way a counselor’s office is set up.

“There are counselors who specialize in gambling addiction,” Nowak said. “A lot of counselors and therapists have some training in this. I’ve known therapists that have been recommended not to have Bills, Sabres or any other sports memorabilia in their offices because it could be triggering for people.”

There are a number of resources and organizations available to help New Yorkers who are struggling with gambling addiction. For 24/7 support, call the OASAS HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 or text 467369. For a full list of resources, click here.