by Michelle Crouch and Charlotte Ledger, North Carolina Health News
March 18, 2026
By Michelle Crouch
Two years after North Carolina legalized mobile sports betting, counselors say they are seeing the fallout: drained bank accounts, strained relationships and young people — especially young men — spiraling into anxiety and depression after losing more than they can afford.
Calls to the state’s problem gambling hotline more than tripled between 2021 and 2025 as North Carolina rolled out legal sports betting, state data show. And the average age of callers dropped from 43 to 38 as younger gamblers sought help.
Gamblers Anonymous meetings across the state are reporting near-record attendance, said Gary Gray, director of the North…