Daily Archives: February 11, 2024

Its the biggest sports betting day of the year and that highlights a two-fold problem happening simultaneously when it comes to problem gambling, said Envision Partnerships Chief Operating Officer Kristina Latta-Landefeld.

Obviously, theres an increase in access and availability of gambling because of online gambling and sports betting; theres just a lot more ways for people can gamble so a lot more people are gambling. The other thing it coincides with is that the help that should be available is not really available, she said.

Latta-Landefeld said treatment is not as available as it should be as gambling, which is considered a silent addiction. Its oftentimes not recognized until someone puts themself, and many times their family, at serious financial risk.

Its something that can be hidden a little bit more as its a behavioral addiction as opposed to a physiological addiction, she said. People tend to seek out help later, into the problem, as opposed if you relate it to a substance use disorder.

This is also a chicken-and-the-egg problem because unless someone is asking for help, mental health providers often say theres not a need because people arent asking for it, Latta-Landefeld said. And not asking for help, she said, is a sign of a gambling problem. Thats one reason why Envision Partnerships hosted the Problem Gambling Coalition of Southwest Ohio, which is based out of the University of Cincinnati, last month.

According to Axios, which analyzed state gaming figures, Ohioans bet a collective $7.7 billion in 2023 with sportsbooks pulling in more than $900 million in revenues, which far exceeds the projections outlined in the bill that allowed sports betting in Ohio to begin on Jan. 1, 2023. It projected the impact could generate as much as $24 million a year for Ohio. Steve Bittenbender, who serves as an analyst and writer with BetOhio.com, a news site and affiliate covering the sports-betting industry, told this new agency in December, Ohio almost surpassed that in January (2023).

There are 38 states (and Washington, D.C.) with legal sports betting, and 26 states allow online sports betting.

Nationwide, its estimated that 2 million adults (which is about 1%) are considered to have a severe gambling problem in a given year. Another 4 million to 6 million would classify they have either a mild or moderate gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Its always been an issue, said Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Associate Director Michael Buzzelli of gambling in the Buckeye State. Ohios had great services for individuals impacted by gambling for a number of years. A lot of those started in 2010 when we legalized casino gambling, but certainly the rates of problem gambling have risen over the past year due to sports gambling and the proliferation of marketing, the bombardment of marketing. With all that, more people are gambling and youre seeing more and more problems associated with it.

And agencies promoting addiction services for problem gambling, also known as gambling disorder, arent anti-gambling but Buzzelli said, Were all in this together to make sure gambling is safe, fun and responsible for those who choose to do it, but theres also available resources for those who are impacted by it.

Problem gambling rates have tripled over the past several years, he said. In 2017, that rate was at 0.9%, but that number is 2.8% of the adult population in Ohio. Thats 255,000 people, he said. And the impacts of problem gambling arent just to that quarter-of-a-million Ohioans. Its compounded as Buzzelli said a person with a gambling disorder negatively impacts eight to 10 people, from spouses and children to friends and co-workers.

The financial component makes it so big that there are many drastic consequences to the family, the community. Youre talking about the loss of a job, emptying the college fund, losing houses and cars, he said. The reach of the consequences really is a web around the life of the person who has the addiction.

The Problem Gambling helpline has seen an increase in calls. For years, theyd receive 400 to 500 calls a month, and now theyre seeing twice that number. If you have 1,000 people calling the Problem Gambling helpline every month, that is an indicator that people are really struggling, he said.

Latta-Landenfeld said most of those hotline calls are from 18-to-21-year-olds, who are people who are not legally allowed to gamble.

ResponsibleGambling.org reports that people between 18 and 24 are at a high risk of developing gambling problems.

At this age, the brain is still developing, and emotion and logic arent fully formed. This means that decision-making ability hasnt yet matured, making young adults more likely to take risks or act impulsively, according to the organization.

Problem Gambling Coalition of Southwest Ohio Chair Rachel Johnson said as gambling has evolved into more entertainment, access has evolved and expanded, and education and prevention have become key, she said on Cincinnati Edition on WVXU. Think before you bet is not just a mantra, but practical advice.

Thats the crux of a lot of treatment is working on trying to help that individual person and put a space between the bet and take a step back, she said. Its really about awareness and educating our community.

Buzzelli said there needs to be more involvement with county mental health and addiction boards and addiction agencies but they dont have a lot of services for gambling disorder.

We need to make sure that if gambling is going to be so available and so accessible, we need to make sure services are just as available and just as accessible, he said.

He also said hed like to see more colleges and universities be as involved as at U.C. has been with its problem gambling coalition.

There needs to be programs on campuses, just like there are for drugs and alcohol, just like there are for suicide prevention he said. Problem gambling has to be raised to that level because a lot of these students are doing it, and we got to make sure there are resources there on campus.

Anyone in need of assistance with a gambling addiction or gambling disorder can call Ohios helpline at 800-589-9966. There are also online resources, including at pgnohio.org or ohio.gov/responsible-gambling

Envision Partnerships in Hamilton has multiple pillars, and one of those is gambling addiction. Get more information at envisionpartnerships.org/prevention-pillars/problem-gaming-prevention.html.

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Problem gambling has increased in Ohio since sports betting legalized - Hamilton Journal News

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx On Thursday shortly after 12 pm, detectives with the Corpus Christi Police Department's Narcotics and Vice Investigations Division served a warrant at the El Patron Sweepstakes Gameroom located at the 4600 block of SPID, according to a press release from CCPD. The warrant was served after months of investigation into the business that found evidence of illegal gambling. 90 pieces of gambling equipment and over $31,000 in cash were seized by detectives.

Andria Thompson, age 34, was arrested and charged with gambling promotion, possession of a gambling device, keeping a gambling place, and engaging in organized criminal activity. The charge of organized criminal activity is a felony punishable with up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

23 customers inside El Patron were cited for gambling, a class C misdemeanor, during the raid.

KRIS 6 News

This is an ongoing investigation by the Corpus Christi Police Department's Narcotics and Vice Investigations Division. CCPD reminds citizens that game rooms which pay out cash rewards are engaging in illegal gambling and that patrons of these establishments may face criminal charges.

For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.

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Illegal gambling raid at El Patron leads to 1 arrest and 23 citations - KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi

WORCESTER, Mass. -Victor Ortiz, director of Massachusetts' Office of Problem Gambling Services, said the in the weeks following the Super Bowl, the gambling helpline sees a significant jump in calls.

"Often times, if they experience distress, they call the helpline," Ortiz said. "Or, they may say, we're going to try and double down during March Madness. And what you see is the after effects during the calls in April."

This will be the first year mobile sports betting will be legalized in Massachusetts for the Super Bowl.

"We have always taken a proactive approach by ensuring that we increase the staffing our helpline during this time of the year," Ortiz said.

Marcia Amarsingh is an addiction specialist. She said gambling sometimes takes a back seat to other addictions, like drugs and alcohol.

"Gambling is similar to other addictions," Amarsingh said. "There's a part where people do it, and then it becomes, use, abuse, and then dependence."

Spectrum News last spoke to Amarsingh in the days leading up to the legalization of sports betting, where she shared some concerns about the ease of access to gambling. A year later, she says those concerns have come to life, as she too has seen an increase in people needing help.

"People don't see gambling as an addiction," Amarsingh said. "They think if you're not putting a substance in your body, then you're really not hurting yourself. They don't look at the psychological aspect of gambling where people are losing their housing, people are losing their jobs, their families."

Amarsingh said if you're going out to gamble, set restrictions.

"Go with some sober friends, people who are more positive and will not encourage gambling," Amarsingh said. "They should have other plans in place and not bring active money, or have a card in which they will spend if they have to. Just certain restrictions to help with the availability of raw cash."

Both Ortiz and Amarsingh said there are a number of signs to look out for, including depression, denial, agitation, anxiety and an obsession with gambling.

If you or someone you know is in need of help regarding a gambling addiction, you're encouraged to get in touch with the state's gambling helpline at 1-800-327-5050.

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Experts discuss responsible gambling ahead of the Super Bowl - Spectrum News 1

The NFLs rules on gambling have generated widespread criticism and questions leading up to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, as the league aims to balance its sportsbook partnerships and policies preventing players from betting on games.

Gambling was a major topic of NFL commissioner Roger Goodells annual Super Bowl news conference Monday, when he said the integrity of the league was the top priority.

We want to make sure that when people are watching NFL games, they know the action on the field is genuine and without any outside influence, Goodell said.

With the marquee sports event days away in the U.S. betting hub, its worth revisiting the NFLs policies for its players and how the leagues stance has changed over time.

The league has long maintained that players are not allowed to bet on NFL events. Its 2023 gambling policy states that players can never place, solicit or facilitate a bet either directly or through a third party on any NFL game, practice, or other event, such as the Combine or Draft.

Players are also not allowed to participate in anyone elses NFL betting activities, such as asking someone to place an NFL-related bet on their behalf or allowing another person to use their account to place an NFL-related bet.

Additionally, players may not enter a sportsbook during the NFL season (from the Hall of Fame Game through the Super Bowl) except to access an area outside of a sportsbook, the rules state. For example, a player can pass through a sportsbook where necessary to get to a separate part of an entertainment, casino or hotel complex.

At the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are both staying in Lake Las Vegas, about 25 miles east of the Strip.

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Why the Chiefs and 49ers are staying in Lake Las Vegas, not on The Strip

The leagues rules are also particular about when and where players maygamble.

Players are prohibited from gambling in team or league facilities (such as practice facilities, stadiums and offices) or while traveling with their teams (such as on a team plane or in a team hotel) to participate in an NFL game or in-season team activity.

Players are allowed to bet on sports other than the NFL in states where betting is legal, subject to the NFLs rules on entering a sportsbook and betting from the workplace.

For example, a player may not place a bet from an NFL facility even if the bet is not on an NFL game. Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams and Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere were disciplined this season for violating the rule. They originally received six-game suspensions, but the league updated its gambling policy in September, reducing the penalty from six games to four.

Betting on non-NFL events in the workplace or while working now carries a two-game suspension for the first violation, six games for a second offense and at least one year for a third offense.

Members of the two Super Bowl teams, the Chiefs and 49ers, are prohibited from participating in any form of gambling, including casino games and betting on any sport.

Players on the other 30 teams may engage in legal gambling but not on the NFL, and they cannot go in a sportsbook until the Super Bowl is over, the league said.

Jeff Miller, the NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said last week: The rules are no different for the participating teams players and other personnel as they would be for any other game: When on business, there is no gambling, whether it be sports gambling or otherwise.

And any player, coach, personnel, yours truly, who would be caught or identified gambling at a casino would be eligible for the disciplinary process, and that would be addressed in the normal course of discipline as we would any player or other personnel who there was evidence that was violating the rules around gambling.

Violations of the NFLs gambling policy are decided by Goodell or his designee on a case-by-case basis, according to the 2023 rules.

Discipline may include, without limitation, a fine, suspension, termination of employment and/or banishment from the NFL for life, the rules state.

Below are the baseline suspensions for violations of the gambling policy, with possible upward or downward adjustments, according to the rules, which note: Nothing in this policy precludes the commissioner from imposing more discipline for other types of prohibited conduct.

The Athletics Mike Jones explained in a recent article how the NFLs complicated relationship with sports betting has evolved:

Since the legalization of sports gambling, the NFL has worked hard to walk a tightrope when it comes to partnering with companies such as Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings and also ensuring that players avoid activities that would compromise the integrity of the game. The league has yet to release figures on how much revenue partnerships with gambling companies generate, but according to the American Gaming Association (AGA), the NFL brings in $2.3 billion per year in income because of those deals.

League officials long frowned upon betting on NFL games and worried that involvement would lead to player involvement and questions about the temptation to fix games. But once the Supreme Court in 2018 overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, they felt the need to evolve as well.

The relationship that the league has with sports gambling changed for one specific reason, and that is because the world changed, Miller said on the leagues efforts to promote responsible sports betting practices. The Supreme Court overturned (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) back in 2018, five years and some odd months ago. As a result, we had to rethink how we engage with legalized sports gambling, and thats what weve done. And well continue to look at and examine how we do that in the hopes that we can be the best we can to protect the integrity of the game in a world where the rules changed.

(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

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What are the NFLs gambling rules for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas? - The Athletic

Right now, if a Campbell County resident is struggling with gambling addiction, there are very few, if any, places they can turn to for help.

Personal Frontiers, a nonprofit substance abuse treatment provider, plans to change that. This week, the organization received $45,000 from the county, which was passed down from the state, to start a program to treat gambling addiction.

In 2023, Campbell County received $45,553 in sports betting revenue from the state, which specified that the money be used for prevention and treatment of problematic gambling behavior.

Under state statute, every month, sports betting operators will send 10% of their revenue to the Wyoming Gaming Commission. Each fiscal year, the first $300,000 of this money will be appropriated to the Wyoming Department of Health. 2023 was the first year the funds were available.

In December, Campbell County sought out applications from local agencies explaining how theyd spend the money, and Personal Frontiers was the only one to apply.

Kay Guire, executive director of Personal Frontiers, said shes seen an increase in gambling addiction in the past few years, just with how accessible it is and how many gambling options are available.

Off-track betting, the Wyoming Lottery and sports betting are a few of the ways people can legally gamble in Campbell County.

She said gambling addiction often goes hand in hand with other addictions.

Our clients stop substance abuse and theyve replaced it with something else, and sometimes it is gambling, she said. And its readily available, and some people dont know how to gamble responsibly.

Locally, there are no options for people who are struggling with gambling addiction. Guire said there isnt a Gamblers Anonymous chapter in the whole state of Wyoming, and the closest one to Gillette is in a small town three hours away.

The Campbell County Prevention Council wrote a letter of support, saying that those in Gillette who struggle with gambling addiction have to travel or participate in virtual programs.

This combined with long wait times and a lack of financial resources puts a strain on families who are living with addiction, wrote Ashley McRae, a certified prevention specialist for the county.

Personal Frontiers gambling addiction program will include weekly group meetings, individual counseling and mental health sessions, Guire said, adding that she also is applying for a $45,000 grant through the National Council on Problem Gambling for this program.

Guire said employees will have to go through some training, and that the program should be ready to train in the beginning of April.

There also will be a big push to raise awareness. Guire plans to talk with the various businesses that have gambling to get posters and magnets put up, and she also wants to give presentations on the program.

I think just getting the word out is half the battle, she said.

Guire said shes very excited to get this program going. For years Personal Frontiers has helped people struggling with drug addiction. Now, its branching out and hitting another addiction that affects adults of all ages.

Right now, where are they going? Theyre not, theyre continuing to go down that road. Now, they have another avenue, another road they can possibly go down, she said. I feel very strongly that people need help. Personal Frontiers would like to be the frontier of that help.

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Personal Frontiers gets $45K to treat gambling addiction - Gillette News Record

With the Super Bowl this weekend, dont expect many pastors to place a bet on Kansas City or San Francisco to win the game, but a few may have more than a rooting interest riding on the game.

Despite its legalization across many states, US Protestant pastors remain opposed to sports gambling, but theyre not doing much about it, according to a Lifeway Research study. Few pastors (13%) favor legalizing sports betting nationwide and most (55%) say the practice is morally wrong.

Anything can happen in sports, and many Americans want the same allure of an unexpected win in sports to translate into an unexpected financial windfall, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. Most pastors see moral hazards in sports betting and believe American society would be better off without it.

Pastoral opposition

A majority of pastors (55%) believe betting on sports is morally wrong, including 33% who strongly agree. Around a third (35%) disagree, while 10% arent sure.

While the Bible does not explicitly say, Thou shall not gamble, biblical principles regarding work and wealth indicate that gambling is unwise, said Miles Mullin, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission vice president and chief of staff. The Bible teaches that sin has a ripple effect that harms not only the participant but those around him. This seems particularly true for addictive behaviors, and gambling is no different.

Evangelical pastors (62%) are more likely than mainline pastors (50%) to see sports gambling as morally wrong. Baptist (65%) and non-denominational pastors (63%) are more likely than those at Lutheran (42%) or Presbyterian/Reformed churches (46%) to agree it is wrong.

While there is some difference of opinion over the morality of sports betting, almost all pastors agree on what the legal status should be. Few (13%) agree sports betting should be legalized across the country, including 2% who strongly agree. Three in 4 pastors (75%) oppose nationwide legalization, and 13% arent sure.

Younger pastors, those aged 1844, are the most likely to support making sports betting legal across the U.S. (20%) and the least likely to oppose those efforts (64%). White pastors (76%) are more likely to oppose legalization than Black pastors (63%). Pastors in the South (78%) and Midwest (75%) are also more likely to disagree with legalizing sports gambling nationwide than those in the West (64%).

Again, evangelical pastors are more likely to oppose gambling than their mainline counterparts, with 80% of evangelical pastors compared to 64% of mainline pastors opposing legalization across the country. Pentecostals (85%) and Baptists (83%) are more likely to disagree with legalizing sports betting than Methodist (72%), Presbyterian/Reformed (71%), Lutheran (66%) and nondenominational pastors (66%).

The overall numbers are similar to a 2018 Lifeway Research study of US Protestant pastors conducted shortly after a Supreme Court ruling opened the door for an expansion of sports gambling across the country. In late summer 2018, 59% of pastors felt sports betting was morally wrong, and 12% thought it should be legal nationwide.

Pastoral apathy

Currently, some form of sports gambling is legal in more than 30 states and Washington, DC. But few pastors see it as an issue for them or their churches to address. This demonstrates a shift from their stated intentions in 2018, a few months after sports betting became a legal possibility across the country.

In 2018, pastors were asked, If sports betting is legal or soon becomes legal in your state, which of the following will your church do? Almost 9 in 10 (88%) said they would offer counseling for those struggling with addiction and debt. Two in three (65%) said they would have private conversations to discourage participation, and 60% would offer support groups for gambling addictions. Another 42% said they would advocate for stricter laws on sports betting. And 33% planned to use sermons to discourage participation. A little more than five years ago, 5% of US Protestant pastors said they wouldnt feel the need for their church to address the issue.

Today, few of those stated ambitions have been realized, and most pastors say they dont feel like they need to do anything about sports betting. Within the last year, 44% of pastors say theyve offered counseling for those struggling with debt or addiction and 32% have used private conversations to discourage participation in sports betting. Few say they have offered support groups for gambling addiction (11%), advocated for stricter laws on sports betting (8%) or used sermons to discourage participation (7%). Most pastors (56%) now say they havent felt the need for their church to address the issue in the last year.

Asked directly about their own participation, 2% of US Protestant pastors say they have placed one or more bets on sporting events in the last year.

Pastors are still not supportive of sports betting, but their plan for responding has changed in the last six years, said McConnell. Pastors 2018 intentions were to fight to keep our culture from hurting itself by lowering a standard. Now that most states have legalized sports betting, pastors appear less interested in focusing on this behavior. Many will likely follow through on their intentions if a specific need arises, but the reality is that intentions are easier than actions.

Baptist and Methodist pastors are often the ones most likely to be involved with the issue. Baptists are among the most likely to say theyve used sermons (13%) and private conversations (39%) to discourage participation. Methodists are among the most likely to have offered support groups for gambling addiction (16%). Both Methodists (14%) and Baptists (12%) are among the most likely to say theyve advocated for stricter laws on sports betting in the past year and to say theyve offered counseling for those struggling with debt or addiction (Methodists 48%, Baptists 46%).

Pastors 65 and older (49%) are less likely than those 18 to 44 (61%) and 55 to 64 (59%) to say they havent felt the need to address sports betting. Lutherans (71%) and Presbyterian/Reformed (67%) are more likely than Methodists (53%), Baptists (47%) and Pentecostals (42%) to believe its not necessary to get involved.

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Super Bowl Gambling Grows, But Pastors Are on the Sidelines | News & Reporting - ChristianityToday.com

Super Bowl Sunday means many things this year: parties, commercials, bean dips, guacamole bowls, loving Taylor Swift, hating Taylor Swift, discussing Taylor Swift over bean dips and guacamole, several hours of football there will be some football and finally a new and significant record that almost no one is discussing. By the end of the day, according to the American Gaming Association, a record 68 million Americans will wager a stunning $23 billion on the Super Bowl and most of them will be doing it legally.

How did we get here?

Six years ago, the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited sports gambling and effectively limited the practice to one place: Nevada. Almost overnight after the ruling, about a dozen states opened some sort of legal sportsbook and more were soon to come. Lawmakers, desperate to pad their state budgets, wanted to cash in by taxing the long-verboten business, and shiny new companies sprung up to give people what they wanted: a chance to place some action and make the game more interesting.

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Today, some form of sports gambling is legal in most states and, in many, including Massachusetts, people can place their bets from the comfort of their couches on their phones using apps provided by FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and others. In this new world, according to the ubiquitous advertisements, gambling is exciting and glamorous. People arent sitting alone in a sea of slot machines in the middle of the day. Theyre sitting alone in the blue glow of their phone screens and theyre hitting it big. The ads make it seem like that anyway. Everyone wins.

Ill be honest: I sometimes place bets on my phone, too $20 here, $10 there, and it can make the game more interesting. But it can also make it more agonizing. If I lose and I often lose Ill go to bed angry or wake up the next morning in a stew of regret. The $20 bet is like the second or third glass of wine its usually a mistake.

We dont see this side in the gambling advertisements. But there are people out there who see it every day and it can be dark. Gambling helplines across the country are overwhelmed with phone calls from people whove lost too much over the weekend, from spouses keeping secrets, from people contemplating suicide, from misguided callers who think the helpline can help them recoup their losses, from college kids whove frittered away thousands of dollars placing bets on their phones, and from their parents worried about their children losing money. Weve had an uptick in calls from parents, Felicia Grondin, the executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, told me. Theyre just looking for someone to talk to.

Grondin expects similar conversations on Monday, the day after the Super Bowl. According to data compiled by the National Council on Problem Gambling, calls to gambling helplines typically peak between noon and 4 p.m. on Mondays, and staffers say theyre always inundated after big games. People need help, and regulators are worried that those in need might soon include underage gamblers. Last fall, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission aired concerns that people under the age of 21 might be placing bets, and Lia Nower, a leading gambling expert, said she believes its already happening.

Nower, the director of the Rutgers University Center for Gambling Studies, told me that the ads on television are designed to capture the attention of both adults and children the first generation of kids to grow up with widespread legalized gambling. Studies show that kids see these advertisements on TV, Nower said. They can remember the names of the companies. It makes them want to try it. And when younger gamblers do try it, Nower said, they are more likely to make impulsive choices. Theyre not just placing bets before the game but during it.

Old-school gamblers call the practice chasing. You start to lose, so you place a different bet to hedge your losses. Then, you start to lose that bet, so you place yet another wager to climb back in. And suddenly, if youre unlucky, youre down maybe a lot of money. In an instant, Nower said.

Its something that happened many years ago to one of our most notorious gamblers: baseball legend Pete Rose. At his low point in the 1980s, according to my reporting, Rose lost as much as $30,000 a week betting on sports, and he couldnt even place bets on his cellphone. He was chasing his losses, calling bookies on a landline.

Now that its so much easier to gamble, lawmakers need to have serious conversations about what comes next. Addiction counselors argue that more money needs to be set aside to get problem gamblers the help they need. Health care providers must start screening for gambling addiction, the way they screen for problems at home with drugs, intrusive thoughts, alcohol, and guns, and experts like Nower believe regulators need to reexamine how gambling is advertised, packaged, and sold.

Its like how cigarettes were marketed in the era of the Marlboro Man, Nower said. Thats where we are with gambling right now.

Its cool. Its all the rage. Sixty-eight million people will do it this Sunday, and no one wants to talk about how it will make us feel in the morning.

Keith OBrien is a journalist and author of the forthcoming Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball.

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DraftKings, helplines, and the hidden toll of sports gambling - The Boston Globe

On Sunday in Las Vegas, the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to win their second straight Lombardi Trophy, while a San Francisco 49ers victory would give the team its first Super Bowl since 1995, when Steve Young was under center.

I didnt get a pass to media day, so I didnt get a chance to ask Chiefs head coach Andy Reid about how he tends to his mustache.

But my colleagues and I were able to ask an all-pro lineup of scholars to write about a range of football-related topics, from the partisan food divide to the numbers behind the biggest gambling bonanza in league history.

The Pro Bowl, the NFLs version of the all-star game, usually gets scant attention. Thats because it happens the weekend before the Super Bowl absent many of the stars playing in the big game and the players seem most concerned about avoiding injuries, not winning the game.

A year ago, league officials decided to shake up the annual showcase. It would no longer be a tackle football game. It would be a flag football match. The thinking went that if the leagues stars didnt have to tackle one another, they might play harder, be more likely to showcase their athleticism and, importantly, have more fun.

As West Virginia University sociologist Josh Woods explains, the NFLs promotion of flag football is a big deal, particularly for an emerging sport thats somewhat obscure outside of Florida, Georgia and New York, where roughly 80% of high school flag football players live. Its inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics will only further bolster its profile.

But Woods points to a gender divide and a political divide that could end up clouding the sports future.

Read more: Could flag football one day leapfrog tackle football in popularity?

In 2011, former NFL cornerback Sam Shields was a rookie playing for a Green Bay Packers team that had made the Super Bowl. The night before the big game, he tossed and turned.

I had stomach aches, using the bathroom, but I didnt have to use it, he told Sports Illustrated in 2019. It felt like Christmas too, when Christmas is the next day you cant sleep.

Ive wondered whether I would get a wink of shut-eye if I were scheduled to pitch in the World Series. Something tells me Id be a lot like Shields. And as if the Chiefs and 49ers players and coaches arent feeling enough pressure, it turns out that getting a good nights sleep is one of the most important things an athlete can do before a big game, meet or match.

University of Pittsburgh sleep medicine specialist Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse highlights reams of studies showing how a poor nights sleep can effect performance and decision-making while making you more likely to get injured.

In fact, she writes, Sleep deficits have been linked to decreased performance in every cognitive measure.

Read more: Sleep can give athletes an edge over competitors but few recognize how fundamental sleep is to performance

Did you bet on the 49ers to cover the spread? Perhaps youre playing squares. Or maybe youre betting on Reba McEntires national anthem to last longer than 90.5 seconds.

If youve wagered on some aspect of the big game, youre one of roughly 67 million American adults who have done the same, according to a Morning Consult survey conducted in early February. That would make another new record, shattering 2023s record, which shattered the mark from 2022. The countrys gambling mania has been aided, in part, by the Supreme Courts 2018 ruling that overturned a federal ban on sports betting.

Gambling and the Super Bowl have always gone hand in hand. To University of Iowa sports media scholar Tom Oates, what makes the developments of the past few years so remarkable is the NFLs stunning reversal on its own attitudes toward betting.

Gone are the quaint days of league officials lobbying Congress to put restrictions and guardrails in place. The NFL has gone all in on its embrace of gambling, forging billion-dollar partnerships with the countrys top sportsbooks.

But this infusion of extra cash comes with a substantial social cost, Oates writes. Gambling addictions are at an all-time high, likely spurred by the ease with which people can place bets from their phones.

So if you want to get in on the action, gamble responsibly and dont let your emotions get the best of you.

That being said, a little birdie told me that Reba can really hold her notes.

Read more: The Super Bowl gets the Vegas treatment, with 1 in 4 American adults expected to gamble on the big game

Everything is politicized, so the lament goes. And even the Super Bowl one of the few communal events left in a polarized, atomized nation cant avoid the creep of partisanship.

In recent years, some of the countrys most iconic food brands Bud Light, Goya, Papa Johns, Coca-Cola, Chick-fil-A have been excoriated by partisans on both sides of the aisle.

So food spreads can color every Super Bowl party with a tinge of red team, blue team.

What you serve at your Super Bowl party, or what the host serves at the event you attend, can now be interpreted, or twisted, through a partisan lens, write political scientists Joshua J. Dyck and Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz.

One possible way to bridge the divide: Unite in a bipartisan celebration of Taylor Swift. Actually, scratch that.

Maybe you could just serve salmon a food that, according to Dyck and Pearson-Merkowitzs research, is resistant to partisan cues.

Grim times, indeed.

Read more: Super Bowl party foods can deliver political bite choose wisely

According to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, 22% of Americans planning to watch the Super Bowl are most excited about the commercials.

Thats one reason companies are willing to fork over so much cash for a coveted slot as much as US$7 million for a 30-second spot.

However, as Auburn University scholars Linda Ferrell and O.C. Ferrell point out, many regulars on the airwaves of the Super Bowl, such as GoDaddy and Ford, are missing from this years lineup.

What gives?

Gen Z, in particular, is not impressed by Super Bowl ads, they write, and complicating the matter is their lack of interest in broadcast TV.

So as a millennial whos spent years listening to how my generation has killed everything from paper napkins to mayonnaise, I take great pleasure in typing: Gen Z killed the Super Bowl ad.

Read more: Super Bowl ads: It's getting harder for commercials to score with consumers

This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversations archives.

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Ads, food and gambling galore 5 essential reads for the Super Bowl - The Conversation

CADILLAC Many people in Michigan could be betting on the big game, with our states fairly new sports betting laws.

An estimated $1.3 billion will be bet on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Michigan Association on Problem Gambling wants you to be aware of the apps drawing you in by giving you free money to gamble.

While they say most of the gambling will be fun and safe this weekend, they also want to remind you of any other potential problems.

Did you bet more than youd planned on betting when you started your session? And number two, and this is so critical, did you lie about it to somebody? Gambling is a hidden addiction, said Michael Burke of Michigan Association on Problem Gambling.

If you or someone you know needs help with gambling in Michigan, you can call the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-270-7117 for 24/7 confidential crisis intervention and referral to treatment.

You can also visit the Michigan Association on Problem Gambling website here.

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Michigan Association on Problem Gambling warns of gambling problems ahead of Super Bowl - 9 & 10 News

Gov. Kay Ivey touched on many areas throughout her annual State of the State address Tuesday night, unveiling a school voucher program as her top priority.

But the unveiling of the CHOOSE Act was just a small part of Iveys address, which also touched on gambling, workforce participation, broadband, artificial intelligence, voter suppression and more.

Heres a look at what the governor had to say:

While gambling legislation has been a persistent challenge for the Legislature, there have been strong indications that this is the year a bill will move forward to give Alabamians a vote on the subject.

While the exact proposal has not been publicly revealed, Ivey said she believes it will be good for the state.

It will crack down on illegal gambling, and it will responsibly regulate limited forms of legal gaming, including a statewide lottery Ivey said. Now is the time for Alabama voters to have another say on this issue.

Ivey touted her recent announcement of $188 million in federal grant funding to expand broadband in rural areas of Alabama via the middle mile program and said Alabamas overall investment in broadband expansion would be $2 billion.

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth recently unveiled his plans to transform the states workforce development pipeline, and Ivey touched on the states labor force participation rate during her address.

While our unemployment rate remains historically low, our labor force participation rate stands only at 57.2 percent, one of the lowest in the nation, Ivey said. Our state will not reach its full potential with nearly half of its population sitting on the sidelines. Alabama can do better, and it will take making Alabamas workforce programs more effective and efficient.

Look yall, I am not going to stand here and preach like I know a lick about AI, Ivey said to chuckles from the crowd.

In an attempt to get ahead of the growing opportunities and challenges involved with the boom of AI applications in industry and everyday life, Ivey announced the creation of a taskforce to ensure the technology is used safely and efficiently.

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Ivey addresses gambling, AI, broadband and more - Alabama Political Reporter