As March Madness gambling soars, NC still on the sideline – WRAL News

By Cullen Browder, WRAL anchor/reporter

Americans are expected to bet more than $3 billion on March Madness this year, according to the American Gaming Association. About 75% of those bets are coming from mobile gambling or sports books, which is an all-time high.

North Carolinians can place bets the old fashioned way at two Harrahs Cherokee casinos in the western part of the state. However, the state is still on the sideline when it comes to mobile gambling. A gambling addiction expert tells WRAL Investigates that lawmakers have a lot of things to consider before turning our phones into mobile casinos.

"Mobile sports betting is a very different kind of gambling than weve seen before," says Dr. Timothy Fong, a professor of psychiatry who specializes in gambling addiction.

Fong says its too early to tell if gaming expansion to a total of 30 states is having a negative impact.

"In the next one year, two years, three years, will that 1% rate of gambling addiction, will that go up?" Fong asked.

Fongs not opposed to mobile sports betting. He just wants states to be proactive before launching games.

"How do we protect those that are really vulnerable from the potential dangers of gambling expansion?" Fong said. "Thats the question that I think remains to be answered."

Fong says education is first step to get right before launching games.

"Gambling is an adult form of entertainment," Fong said. "Its a privilege, its not a right. If you engage in that type of entertainment privilege, should consumers have to go through some basic education and training?"

State lawmakers plan to contract with several vendors to provide sports betting in North Carolina. Fong would like to see the phone betting apps have more safeguards, like hes seen in other parts of the world.

"Im not aware of any state thats put limitations on sports betting. There s no innkeeper to say this is too much," Fong said.

Fong is a proponent of betting apps that track the users history and if it senses a huge shift in betting habits, whether its frequency or amounts of money, itll send a warning message.

Lawmakers also need to clearly define advertising parameters. Fong is concerned some advertising is aimed at younger people, including college students.

"Any ads for gambling need to have the exact same standards as we have for tobacco and alcohol," he said.

Theres a lot to consider before turning our phones into casinos 24/7, because the ingredients are there to create problems, Fong said.

"You have this perfect storm of increased availability of access to gambling combined with increased ability to gamble online via online lending," Fong said. "Its that combo I think we have to be very cautious about."

North Carolina's sports wagering bill already passed the state Senate. Its now one of 28 bills in the House Judiciary 1 committee. Sponsors are hopeful it will pass this year.

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As March Madness gambling soars, NC still on the sideline - WRAL News