EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State University Spartans are still dancing in the NCAA tournament and many students will hop on gambling apps to place bets hoping to win big.
- Many Michigan State University students are using sports gambling apps to place bets as the Spartans keep dancing in the NCAA Tournament.
- The American Gaming Association estimates people bet a combined $3.1 billion on March Madness.
- The ease of mobile betting raises concerns about financial responsibility and gambling addiction among college students.
The American Gaming Association estimation is a sign that sports gambling is more popular than ever.
"A couple of my friends sports gamble. To what extent, I'm not sure, but it's four of them," Michigan State University student Jake Jackson said.
Depositing money into a sports book is as easy as opening an app, heading to the accounts tab, and finding the deposit button.
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"They can always hop on their parents' accounts and going through that way," Jackson said.
With the ease of making an account and starting to bet, questions arise about whether students should be able to bet at all.
"It's not something that's very financial responsible, and right now are defining years for your financial longevity," Jackson said.
Along with financial responsibility, there are side effects from sports gambling that can harm more than just a wallet.
"It's really easy to develop an addiction to sports gambling," Jackson said.
"From what I know about addiction, it doesn't just contain itself in sports gambling. It can spread into other aspect of your daily life," Jackson said.
Resources are available for those battling gambling addiction.
Michigan-specific resources:
- Michigan Problem Gambling Help Line: 1-800-270-7117
- Online chat: Available at michigangambling.org
National resources:
- National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-522-4700
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Gamblers Anonymous: ga.org to find local meetings
For college students:
- MSU Counseling & Psychiatric Services: (517) 355-8270
- Campus mental health resources available through student services
Additional support:
- National Council on Problem Gambling: ncpgambling.org
- Gambling Therapy: gamblingtherapy.org
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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