PHOENIX (AZFamily) — New research shows more people are looking for help with gambling addictions since the Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting in 2018.

Online searches for gambling-related help have surged 23% since sports betting was legalized, making for around 7.3 million inquiries, according to the American Medical Association.

Experts point to how accepted online sports gambling has become and the accessibility of the apps that make it an issue for an estimated 2.5 million Americans who suffer from gambling addiction, according to the National Counsel for Problem Gambling.

“I watched the Super Bowl with my wife and found there was commercial after commercial about sports betting,” said Nate Bush, clinical director for Cornerstone Healing Center in Phoenix. “You have sports betting right in your pocket, and the book is never closed.”

UCLA professor Brett Hollenbeck is looking at the economic harms of online sports gambling. His research found that bankruptcy rates are up 25-30% four years after online betting was legalized, translating roughly to 30,000 more bankruptcies in the US.

There is no study to see how online sports gambling is affecting kids who aren’t legally allowed to wager on the apps, but The Lancet, a public health research organization, found that 36% of kids aged 11-16 years old in the UK spent money on gambling activities in the preceding year.

Even though the legal age to gamble is 21 in Arizona, Bush said kids are finding ways to break the law and gamble on apps by either using someone else’s ID or linking up with someone older and sending them money for underage person to then place bets on the apps.

“All your underage child would have to do is get a hold of your identification to begin gambling on sports gambling apps,” Bush said.

Bush said concerned parents should speak to their kids about the dangers of online gambling and look into their payment activity on their bank statements.

If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text 53342. For more information click/tap here.

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