As pro athletes deal with the ramifications of betting on games, a growing number of people are also grappling with mental health issues associated with sports betting. Gambling addiction hotlines across the country have reported a huge surge in traffic in recent years. Texts and chats to the National Problem Gambling Helpline have increased around 800% since 2018 while call volume grew nearly 80%. The annual national social cost of problem gambling — including job loss and gambling-related criminal justice — amounts to around $14 billion, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. In January, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Andrea Salinas introduced the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment Act, which would use federal funding to treat and study problem gambling.

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Persons: Tucupita, Jontay Porter, Robert Manfred, —, There’s, LeBron James, ”, Charlie Baker —, National Collegiate Athletic Association —, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Andrea Salinas Organizations: CNN, Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres, National Basketball Association, Toronto Raptors, MLB, US, State helplines, of Ohio, National Council, Sports, American Gaming Association, Leagues, NBA, ESPN, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Investment Locations: New Jersey, Nevada, Washington, DC, Massachusetts, Las Vegas